Don't Fear The Reaper
by MsPorter
Summary: Castiel is human. He comes across an unlikely female savior who guides him through his new discoveries and endeavors. A bond is undoubtedly formed... for better or for worse. (Set from the start of Season 9 onwards.) Castiel/OFC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than Vera.

Authors Note: I apologize in advance for any mistakes, the program in which i'm writing this on is useless and i might as well right it on a stone fucking tablet. I am writing this as practice for something bigger, so constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you.

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><p>The sounds of the launderette buzzed in the quiet space. The machines rattled and hummed, and Castiel stood there, fingering the small change he had in his hand. His gaze exchanged from the the washing machine to the vending machine. Hunger was clawing at the lining in his stomach, but the thirst from today's events was worse. He had not noticed how cold it could be until recently, and the cool air bit at his semi-naked skin. His first experiences as a human, were not pleasant ones.<p>

"You look lost." A steely voice pierced his thoughts, and his line of sight snapped to his right, where a tall woman dressed from head to toe in leather was leaning against a counter. His eyes squinted in part confusion and in part suspicion. It was night time, and he was pretty sure the launderettes was not that bright, but she was still there wearing pilot shades. The eyes behind them were not visible, only his reflection was, but he could still feel a harsh gaze upon him.

"Who are you?" Cas spoke, uncertain and very much on edge. His encounter with his sister earlier that day had reset his ability to trust, and the woman's presence did not seem a very welcoming one.

"A friend of a friend." She said simply, her face still deadpan and her tone still cold.

"Which friend?" He asked, glancing slightly to see his angel blade sitting on the seats behind him. Cas was unsure whether he could grab it in time if he needed but the guns that were strapped to either side of the woman's thighs did nothing for his hopes.

"The Winchesters." She said simply once again. "You do not know me, but you are quite known in the hunters circle, Castiel." Her leather jacket squeaked as she folded her arms.

Castiel's hand twitched at his name, and this did not go unnoticed. He did not like the ladies presence, or the way she spoke. Her aura was a bad one, and Cas just wanted to leave. But on his own, he was certainly helpless, and very much wanted as he had found out this morning. The word hunter on her lips, was a welcome one. He doubted very much that hunters would be tracking him in the same way the angels were.

"You're a hunter?" The former-angel asked curiously. There was a pause before she spoke.

"Did the guns give me away?" She said. Cas was unsure when it came to humor, but he was pretty sure that the line was intended to be funny. The way she said it however, was monotone, with no hint of warmth or laughter behind it whatsoever. At his confused expression, the woman merely grunted, unzipped an inch of her leather jacket and pulled at it slightly. It exposed the same tattoo that Sam and Dean had on her collarbone. It didn't necessarily prove that she was a hunter, but Cas took it as proof anyway.

"Yes, I am a hunter and I am here to protect you." She said as she zipped up her jacket again.

Her voice did not convey the same feeling though.

"Why should I trust you? How did you find me?" Cas barked.

"Did I stutter before? I'm an acquaintance of the Winchesters, and from what I hear with angels falling and panicking, you need all the help you can get." Her voice still held the aggressive tone to it. "You weren't that hard to spot dripping in blood I might add. I'm surprised I was the first one to find you."

"You weren't." Cas held up the blood stained shirt he was clutching in his hand sheepishly. The woman only stared for a moment before simply nodding.

"We need to get you out of here then." She stood up straight and raised an eyebrow. "After you dress."

The now-human turned from her stare a little embarrassed and looked at his trench coat and suit. He was too noticeable in that, that much was certain. He looked to a pile of clothes in a basket nearby, and decided those would do. He quickly dressed. The old lady who most presumably ran the launderettes looked as if she was about to say something, but the dark-haired, leather-clad woman just patted the gun on her right thigh in warning. She didn't need to say anything. The old lady disappeared into the back and did not return.

"I'm, uh, ready. Where do you propose we go?" Castiel asked, tugging at his new clothes awkwardly. They evidently were not a exact fit, but they fitted well enough.

"We rest up for the night, then leave this city behind and find somewhere more secluded." She said over her shoulder as she was about to leave.

"Wait, what's your name?" He quickly asked before she was out of ear shot.

"Vera." She exited the shop and descended the steps below.

Cas shoved the change into the slot and pressed the buttons on the machine hurriedly, buying himself a bottle of water, before quickly chasing after her. The cool nights breeze was insanely bitter, and his new attire didn't help in preventing the feel of it. It seemed no matter what he wore or were he went, he was always cold.

He did not see Vera at first glance, and he took the time to drink his water. He had no idea just how thirsty he was, and within moments, the bottle was completely drained. He stared at the empty bottle for a moment, before looking down below him and at the bottom of the steps, there Vera stood. She held a black helmet in her hands, and just behind her sat her bike. She threw the helmet towards him, and after some fumbling and dropping the plastic bottle, he caught it. He stared at it oddly and frowned.

"Put it on." Vera commanded.

Castiel thumbed it for a moment before looking back to her.

"Shouldn't you be wearing this?" He asked. An innocent question, but not to the recipients ears. The sound of the her teeth grinding was practically audible.

"Did you not hear what I previously said? I'm here to protect you, and that means not getting your head cracked like a walnut as it hits the ground at 60 miles per hour. Now put it on." She growled, seemingly losing her patience rapidly.

After some commotion with him putting the helmet on backwards twice, and three times sideways, he managed to get it on. Vera was tapping her foot impatiently, and merely grunted when he had achieved that small task and mounted the bike. She patted the seat behind her and he followed her suit. The bike did not move though.

"Put your hands on my waist." Vera said again, not taking her eyes off of her surroundings. Over the years her ears had begun to pick up the slightest of sounds, and she did not like the ones that were slowly heading their way.

"What?" The man behind her sounded dumb-founded, as if she had asked a for a far more intimate touch. He was not accustomed to physical contact, and did not know the etiquette that came with it, but he was pretty sure that this wasn't normally allowed between strangers.

The dark haired woman just grabbed his hands from behind her and wrapped them around her with a tug. She gave it a pat and a shake which he understood meant to hold on tight. When she put the key in the ignition and the bike roared to a start, he certainly did.

The bike screeched down the road, shattering the peaceful slumber of the city and Castiel had not the faintest idea of what was happening. The streets sped past them, lights became faded and the view became blurred from what he could see through the tinted black shield of his helmet visor. He could not hear a single thing apart from the engine of the bike chugging beneath him. Cas inhaled deeply, and the scent of gunpowder and copper brushed past his nostrils. He was not entirely sure whether it was the bike, or the woman he was clinging on to for dear life. She turned corners so aggressively that he almost believed he would fall off a few times, but she was not reckless, and soon had them to wherever they needed to be without incident. After what seemed like only a few minutes, the bike began to stall to a halt and they pulled into a parking lot. Cas removed his helmet, and he realized their destination was a motel. Well, he presumed it was. The 'o' and 'l' had fallen off.

He gave the helmet back to her and she placed it back on the handle bars. Without a word she walked towards the entrance and she signed in. Trailing after her, Cas did manage to get a glimpse at the card she used to pay with. A name was engraved on the front. A 'Richard Kingsley'.

She grabbed the keys and the used-to-be angel found himself chasing after her like a lost puppy. They stood outside the door to their room and she began to put the key in the door.

"Do you know Sam and Dean well?" Cas asked. He had wondered why she chose to help him.

Vera seemed surprised by the sudden question, evidently not used to a voice other than her own. Cas couldn't see from her eyes since the shades were still on but he could see by the furrow of her brow. Then the question seemed to click and she shook her head, her expression returning dead-pan once again.

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Cas frowned from her reply but said no more. Vera opened the door and gestured for him to enter. She looked across the street and reviewed her surroundings one last time, before being sure that they were not being tailed. She followed in after him.

The room had definitely seen better days, Cas noted staring around. But to him, this was better than sleeping on the pavement, or behind some trash cans. The room reeked of mould and another scent he'd rather not describe, but it was four walls and that spelled safety to him. Light twinkled through the shabby out-dated curtains, before Vera switched on the lights. His eyes fell onto the woman, his new 'savior', as she gave the room a once over before discarding the keys to the motel room and her bike on a nearby table.

Vera walked over to the tacky 80's styled kitchen area and unzipped her leather jacket and folded it, placing it neatly on a kitchen side. She removed gloves and her phone from her leather trouser pocket and threw those on top of it also. She was about to ask her new companion if he wanted a shower or anything to eat, but he just stood there in the same spot near the entrance frowning. Vera mimicked his facial expression.

"What?" She asked, staring down at herself thinking something was on her.

"Those markings on your body..." Cas trailed off, not sure what to say. He just eyed her.

"You mean my tattoos?" He only gave her a strange look, as if the word was foreign. "You've never seen these before?" She held her arms out wide, and raised an eyebrow. With her leather jacket on and it zipped up to the top of her neck, you couldn't see the illustrations on her body, and when she quickly showed him the tattoo that was a ward against possession, Cas did not see the others. But with it now removed and her clad in only a black tank top from the waist up, you could see them all. From her finger tips to just underneath her chin, there was not a patch of skin that was untouched.

"Are they... wards?" He asked hesitantly, beginning to worry at what she was trying to ward herself from with so many.

Vera did a double-take and wasn't sure for a moment if he was serious.

"Wards? What? No. They're just... art." She scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably before resuming her harsh look. "Now stop eye-balling me. These 'markings' are the least of your worries."

Walking off into the bathroom, Vera said no more as Cas just stood there, really unsure as what to do next. He thought about her markings more. They were not entirely unfamiliar to him. Dean and Sam had both those 'tattoos', he knew of that. But they were wards against possession. One on both of their chests. But he did not understand why the woman who was now protecting him needed so many. And he certainly did not understand why they were so elaborate.

She came back a moment later and took a beer from the mini-bar. She twisted the lid open and grabbed a chair and seated it by the entrance. Vera sat down and glanced over at the man who still just standing there, staring aimlessly around.

"You know you can move, right?" Cas just shuffled foot to foot, once again unsure of what to do. She sighed. "Why don't you start by taking a shower or something. Just don't stand there like any day will do." The woman took a swig of her stale drink, and Cas nodded and made for the shower.

Vera rubbed her head, nursing a sudden onset of a migraine.

_I go from hunter to babysitter. _She thought bitterly. _Sam and Dean will owe me for this. _

She rose out of her seat to grab the motel keys. Thinking that her new companion had probably not eaten in a while, Vera decided to head out and see if there was any place still open that sold food. That was until she heard no noise coming from the bathroom.

_He doesn't know how to use a shower._

She turned 180 degrees and paced over to the bathroom, and like she had thought he was just standing there eyeing the shower head and the dials with confusion. Barging past him impatiently, Vera pressed a button and turned a dial, and sure enough the shower came on.

"Towels are there, toothbrush and toothpaste there. If you need me shout for me. And by the grace above if I have to dress you I swear I'll pop a blood vessel." She pointed to the various objects around the quaint room and Cas followed her movements. He gave a moment before nodding. She left without another word and shut the door behind with a loud slam.

About 20 minutes passed, and Vera spent the time quickly popping to a 24/7 store to grab something to eat with the change she had in her pocket. Cas walked back in, dressed again and considerably cleaner than when she saw him last. His hair was no longer shaggy, and his cheeks were no longer stained with dirt and grime. She merely reviewed him once and grunted.

"There's some food on the table." She stated and pointed with a nod of the head.

The new-human apparently didn't need any further encouragement before he sat down and started tearing into the cheap microwaveable burger and fries. She raised an eyebrow at his ravenous appetite, but said no more.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked, mouth half full with cheeseburger.

"Are you complaining?" She said, using the tip of her half empty bottle to move the curtain aside from the window and look outside. It was still empty.

"It's just... I never heard Sam or Dean mention your name before." He murmured, reaching for the bottle of coke that was left there too.

"Huh, typical." She scratched the back of her neck and stretched her legs.

"Have you...hunted with them?" He asked. For once he found himself trying to start a conversation. It was strange, and surprisingly hard.

She was quiet for a moment.

"Yes." Vera said simply. She stared out the window again. Some might say that was paranoid, to her it was merely caution.

A heavy silence fell upon them again, as Vera just sat there quietly. Cas wondered why she never took her sunglasses off. It was clearly nigh time. He wanted to ask but felt as though the last thing he wanted was to provoke her further. He wasn't an angel anymore, and he needed whatever help this woman was willing to give.

"Jump into the bed whenever you want to hit the hay." She said tiredly.

He stood up and removed his outer jacket. He wanted to ask what hitting the hay was and what it had to do with sleeping, but the question lay unsaid when he saw Vera sitting there still.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" He asked.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead." She said, no hint of anything other than her usual steely tone. Vera caught the strange look he was giving her and decided to give a more appropriate response. "I'll keep watch. I won't sleep until we're comfortably out of this city and away from danger."

"Are you sure?" The man said hesitantly.

The woman just nodded once, and when Cas' head hit the pillow, he passed out.

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><p>Cas awoke to the sounds of metal chiming against metal. It wasn't anything too loud or harsh, but it was enough to wake him. It was a routine sound, there would be clacking and clicking, then a short pause before it started again. He nearly fell out of the bed when he went to sit up, half of his body dangling precariously off of the edge. Through the feeling of being sleep-drunk, Cas managed to stable himself and stand up, swaying slightly but awake.<p>

He found the source of the monotonous noise. Vera was sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over it like a gargoyle. She was piecing her two guns back together again, turning the safety off and on, aiming, and then undoing them again. Cas was curious as to how long she had been sitting there.

"You know, I used to be able to do this in about 10 seconds." She said, looking down the sight of the pistol before placing it on the table. "Age tends to slow down your reaction time a bit."

"How old are you?" Cas said, rubbing the sleep out of his tired eyes. He felt eyes boring into him and remembered when Dean once warn him to never ask a woman's age. The former-angel coughed a little and stuttered. "If you don't mind me asking."

The gaze didn't shift for a moment, but Vera grunted once and answered him.

"32." She said. Strapping her weapons back to her thighs and Vera stood up. "You ready to go?"

Cas wanted to stay a few hours extra in bed, but he thought he better not voice his opinions and nodded. At this Vera donned her leather jacket, gloves and grabbed her keys and was already leaving the room. Cas, once again, found himself stumbling after her.

The morning air had a fresh chill about it, and he found this pleasant. Vera told him to wait there a moment whilst she dropped the motel keys back to the owners. Cas shuffled foot to foot with his hands in his pockets. A pot-hole-filled parking lot to a shabby motel might not have been the most scenic of places, but the warm orange sun bathed it, and he appreciated it a lot more now than he did with his wings and powers.

Vera returned a moment later and gestured for them to go. Mounting the bike once again, and Cas actually managing to put the helmet on first time, they set off without delay. He clung to Veras back once more, as she reared round corners dangerously. Pressed so closely against her back, he could feel her heartbeat through the warm leathers. It was beating slow and methodically, unlike Cas', which was in his throat.

They pulled up at a red light, and Cas quickly shouted a question, it muffling slightly through the helmets thick protection.

"Where are we going now?" He asked.

Vera nearly jumped at the unexpected talk, but quickly composed her self and replied.

"I know a place a bit further down the road that should shelter us for a while. They take in the homeless, and they work in return." She barked back.

"I thought you wanted to leave the city as soon as possible?" The lights were quickly turning yellow again.

"I do, go too far too quickly and we'll get noticed." The light flicked to green. "Just trust me." The last part was barely audible as the bikes engine roared back into action, but Cas heard it nonetheless.

It was only a few miles until they reached wherever she had planned on going, and they found themselves outside of a church. Vera turned the engine off and sat there for a moment, seemingly eyeing the place.

"Is this it?" Cas asked, removing his helmet and once again handing it back to Vera. She took it and held it.

"Yes. You should be able to get food and rest here for a day or two." She said, not moving.

"You?" He echoed.

"I need to check a few contacts I know around here." Cas had already dismounted and stared at her quizzically. "I'll be back before you know it Castiel. Stay out of trouble, I'd hate to return to a dead body. I hate digging graves." She said nonchalantly.

He did not know whether it was a joke or a very grim outlook on life, that was until he saw the slight upturn on one of the corners of Vera's lips. As soon as she noticed that he had seen it, it was gone again, and the face of stone returned.

"Another thing. Change your name, change your identity. And for Gods sake, if someone asks you where you're from, don't say Heaven. It doesn't exactly fly by in most circles." She turned the key in the ignition again and the bike chugged below her.

Cas understood this and nodded once, before awkwardly raising his hand in a attempt to wave goodbye. Vera wanted to laugh at this, it was almost like dropping her kid off at the first day at school. She gave a two fingered salute above her eyebrow instead, and it was then Cas noticed the large jagged scar cutting through her right eyebrow, disappearing behind her aviators and down to the corner of her left jaw. Vera felt his gaze upon her scar and turned away, putting on the helmet and flicking down the visor.

"Stay safe Cas. I'll be back in a day or so."

She drove off without another word.

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><p>Authors Note: I promise it does get more exciting and a lot more personal, rather than me just retelling what happened in Season 9. Thank you for taking the time to read.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of days passed before Vera decided to check up on him again. She had seen the contacts she had mentioned before, and they all proved useless in providing information when it came to angels or their human vessels. They all seemed to know nothing at all, or so much that it just came out as bullshit. Vera drove rather erratically back to the church, annoyed that she hadn't found anything of use and wasted two days that she could have used a lot more wisely. And whilst she would have denied it, she almost went flying over the handlebars twice.

Pulling up outside of the church, she left the engine running, tapping her fingers against the brake bars. There were a gathering of people outside, with large black bags collecting the trash that littered the ground. There were bums of every shape and size, but none where the rugged former-angel she was after.. She removed the helmet to get a better view, shaking her ponytail out and adjusting her glasses. It seemed rather scenic. If she didn't know better, she might of thought that monsters, angels and demons were just a fictional stain. The scar that ran across her face, and the many other that dotted her body, told otherwise. She turned the engine off, deciding to check the grounds for herself. Eyes definitely bore into her as she strolled across the church yard with helmet in hand, and most of the men were quick to stay out of her path. _And why wouldn't they be?_ Vera thought. If a 5'11 armed woman with a perma-frown started walking past looking like she was egging for a fight, then most would have probably stepped out the way too.

Surveying the area, Vera was about to step inside the church itself and see if she could find him there, but in the corner of her eye she noticed his figure. Her head snapped to the left, he was crouched down low but she was almost certain it was him. She was about to call out but then realized she didn't know his alias. Striding over, he moved again, through the gates and into the graveyard.

"Where is that man going?" Vera murmured, pacing a little quicker. He dropped his equipment.

Vera stepped by his trash bag and noticed what he noticed too. Droplets of blood. Panic gnawed at the back of her neck.

She went through the same gates he did and low and behold there he stood. Vera called out his name, but his eyes were fixated on something else. She followed his line of sight and saw what he was staring at.

Two dead vicars, impaled with empty sockets where their eyes used to be.

"Is this angel work?" Vera asked. Her voice was unusually uncertain. She was used to seeing the most grisly of sights, and was no stranger to death, but this unnerved her slightly.

"Yes." He replied simply, mouth set in a grim line.

His answer only made her shiver slightly. Knowing that something that was meant to be clean and pure like a angelic being was capable of something like this did not comfort her at all. They stood there for a moment, before Vera composed herself.

"We need to leave now." She said, patting him on the shoulder before turning around.

"Shouldn't we tell someone?" He asked, looking a little uncertain of things himself.

"I'm sure someone else will find them." She sounded very impatient, fidgeting as if the ground below her burnt her heels.

Cas stood there for a mere moment, and Vera snapped, grabbing him by the arm and leaving the graveyard through a different exit. He stumbled a little but kept with her pace, her fingers digging uncomfortably into his left bicep.

"Why do you care what happens to me so much?" Cas grunted, his arm slightly throbbing.

"When I set my mind to something I do it. For better or worse." She spat, walking round the block again to her bike.

Cas admired her dedication, but her grip on his arm was entirely unnecessary he thought.

She let go of his arm in shock when she saw the markings on the bikes tank. Vera grimaced, and looked as if she was about to snap the nearest persons neck.

"What the hell is that?!" She shouted, looking at the strange symbols.

"It's Enochian." He said simply. He was not worried about the bikes paint job, he was more worried about what the message conveyed.

"Are you fucking serious?" She ran her fingers over the lines and rubbed her eyes beneath the shades. She glanced at Castiel. "Well what does it say?"

"Its a warning. For you. They know you're protecting me." Cas mumbled.

Vera wanted to scream. Barely a week at this and they already knew about her. One of the only advantages she had was that she thought who ever was gunning for Cas didn't know about her.

"We have to ditch this." Vera dumped the helmet she had in her hands and placed it on the bikes handle-bars one last time. 1 to 10, Vera seemed about a 11 on the ready to kill a man scale.

"What do we do know?" Cas asked gently, not wanting to 'poke the bear' as Dean used.

"We walk. They'll be looking for the bike, no doubt." She said.

And so they did, without another word they began to walk down the word. Vera looked back once at her bike in what Cas could only describe as sorrow. Cas could not understand how a being could be so drawn to a inanimate object, like Dean to his car, or Sam to his laptop.

They walked elbow to elbow through the bustling streets. It was times like this that Vera liked to note how odd everything was. She, a hunter, was walking side by side by a man who was once a angel. Of Heaven. With wings. And magical powers. She remembered the stories her mother used to tell her about angels and demons. How if you prayed hard enough, an angel might just come down and answer your prayers. Vera chuckled grimly to herself. If she ended up like the two priests back at the church than she decided she would rather take her chances with the demons instead. At least you knew where you stood with a demon. They were bad. They kill. But an angel? Vera glanced at her partner, who was looking around at the busy streets with fascination. Vera always followed the text-book example of what angels looked like. Huge wings, baby faces, strangely chiselled torsos and small penises. Not a man wearing second hand clothes with a 5 o'clock shadow. But then again he was human now, so I guess it didn't matter.

"Where are we going?" Cas spoke up, narrowly avoiding colliding with someone walking the opposite way.

She honestly didn't know. Where do you go that's safe from angels? Or monsters? Or people all together?

"Somewhere where you stand a chance at not getting attacked." She answered vaguely.

"Which would be?"

Vera cursed Cas' curiosity.

"Somewhere secluded." She came to a stop when they came to a bridge. The sun had already began to set behind the tall buildings around the city, and she could see fire coming from some of old oil cannisters below them. A tell-tale sign of homeless encampment.

Taking the lead, Vera lead them both down below the bridge and there they were. More homeless. Vera wanted to sigh. Heavily. It seemed like the only viable option was to blend in with those less fortunate.

_I mean, look at us. I think we can count ourselves under the bill of 'less fortunate than others'. _Vera thought tiredly.

As expected, those that saw them approaching were suspicious of their intentions. Cas they didn't blink one eye at, but there eyes lay on Vera and did not move until she announced her purpose.

"I'm not a fucking cop." Vera said for the 5th time. She rubbed her temples in a effort to get the will to hurt someone locked away. "We're just here to rest up for the night, and move on." She said again.

The group that stood in front of them looked to each other with their doubts.

Vera grew impatient at trying to coerce themselves into the group, so she opted for a different course. Bribery. She held up a twenty dollar bill in her hand.

"Here. We'll keep out of your hair, in return all I ask is that pretend we were never here."

They whispered some more, whilst Cas just stood there awkwardly. They nodded, and Vera handed the nearest person the note, who grinned a toothless grin. She turned to Cas.

"I'm going to survey the area. I'll be back shortly." She whispered to him. Cas nodded and proceeded to busy himself amongst the group. They now took to him in a much more different light now, eagerly offering him the food he had in hopes that his friend might have a few more bills to hand out.

Vera walked around the area, and while the whole area reeked of depravity and cocaine deals, there was nothing to make her suspicious. If the angels were so high and mighty, she hoped that they might just overlook a place like this.

Her hand twitched and flexed for her gun as she heard a noise not so far off her location. She was far enough away from the main group of the homeless to know that it wouldn't be one of them. Standing perfectly still, Vera held in her breath for sound of anything else. A few tense moments passed by, and she relaxed. Though she did head back to where she left Cas a little quicker than usual.

She couldn't find Cas when she went back. She asked one man where he went and he pointed in one direction. He didn't seem entirely sure of his answer but Vera took it nonetheless, following his finger.

Seeing an abandoned bus, she hoped to find him there. Though as the view of the bus got clearer, she saw another figure entering.

_That ain't Cas. _Thought Vera panicking.

She sprinted over, and just caught the commotion inside. Practically jumping up the bus steps in one hop, she caught the back of a white coat.

"Back up." Vera growled, unholstering her weapon and aiming down its sights. Through her adrenaline state, she wondered if a bullet would even effect a angel. She was going to find out either way.

The man turned around and frowned. He eyed her as if she were an alien.

"What the hell are you doing here-" He began shouting.

Vera put a round through his right chest, not to kill, but to wound. He recoiled back as it struck, but he showed no other glimpse of a reaction or any signs of pain.

_So bullets are a no-go._

Just as Vera thought she was going to have to tear his head from his shoulders, the most brightest of light pierced her gaze. Her arm flew up to shield her eyes out of reflex, as the light almost became painful. As soon as it was there, it was gone. Vera opened her eyes and lowered her arms, her vision somewhat blurred. Through the dizziness, she could still clearly see the body on the floor. Vera didn't care how the now-human managed to kill what she presumed was a angel, all that she cared about was that he was dead and Cas was alive. The man stood there clutching his arm in pain. Vera rushed over to him, stepping over the body to see his wound. Cas recoiled from her sudden touch, and gripped his blade a little tighter.

"Woah, easy. Forgetting who your friends are?" She said, holstering her gun and putting up her hands in a sign of surrender.

"Sorry." He whispered, looking ashamed for a second before Vera went back to examining the wound. She peeled back the now blood-sodden material that surrounded the cut, and reviewed it as the man it belonged to grimaced. Luckily it was only a scratch, but Cas clutched it like it was a gaping wound.

"You're not used to human pain, are you?" She said turning around and crouching down. She tore a piece of cloth from the dead pharmacist's coat.

"Not really no. Why does it sting so much?" He asked.

"I'm not sure about the science behind it," Vera patted the seat in a gesture for him to sit down. He did and she knelt before him. "But I know if it starts itching, it means its healing."

She swatted his left hand from around his cut and pressed the piece of cloth tightly against it. He hissed at the pain. Vera wanted him to tell him to stop being a little bitch about it, but she could tell it wasn't entirely the wound that was bugging him. She wrapped the cloth around his bicep and tied it in a knot.

"It'll stop the blood, but you'll need to let it breathe to heal fully." Vera said, rubbing her thumb over it gently before standing up and stepping back.

"You're like a mother to me." Cas stated.

Vera recoiled in confusion.

"Did you just... mother-zone me?" Vera swallowed back a chuckle at his confused expression.

"I don't know what a mother-zone is," he began, "but you act very motherly towards me. I find it rather belittling, but I thank you for your help."

Vera didn't swallow the chuckle this time.

"I said I was here to help." She sat down on the row of seats opposite, and leaned herself up against the window facing him.

Cas took this as a time to ask her. It had bugged him from the moment he saw her and he needed to know.

"Why do you never take your glasses off?"

Vera raised an eyebrow and seemed slightly unsettled at his question.

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

He ignored her reply and pressed the thought.

"You never take them off, even at night."

It was then Cas realized how quickly her mood could change. Her brow furrowed so badly that both of her eyebrows nearly touched and he had never seen her jaw so pronounced and tight as it was now.

Vera cracked her knuckles with how tight she was clenching her fists. The glasses were a sensitive issue for her. But looking at his face, she saw how intrigued he looked. She had people poke fun at her before for wearing the shades day and night, and they met a nice punch around the jaw, but the man who was staring at her now who looked genuinely interested, disarmed her slightly.

Vera reached up for her shades and grasped them, hesitating slightly, before taking them off.

Cas frowned and tilted his head an inch, but didn't say anything.

"You see?" She mumbled.

"No." He replied, still with the same look of confusion on his face.

Vera returned his look of confusion at his answer.

"I still don't see why you wear the glasses day and night." He explained.

Vera once tracked a pack of werewolves in Missouri. It was foolish to try and take down a pack of fully fledged werewolves with just one hunter, but Vera was young and very much confident. She stormed their den, disposing of most of them fairly quickly, but when the showdown came between her and the pack leader, Vera considered herself lucky to come out with a scar... and a blind right eye.

"It was either the shades or wear an eye patch and I don't feel like being called Polly the fucking pirate for the rest of my days." She spat, looking down at her the glasses in her lap.

"You wear the glasses because your insecure about your eye?" Cas stared at the white eye blankly.

Vera grimaced at the word 'insecure'. There was many things Vera considered herself, and insecure was never one of them.

_A child is insecure. A teenager is insecure. Even an adult can be insecure. A hunter shouldn't. _Vera recalled the words a fellow hunter told her once, when Vera told her about her eye and how she felt. She took to those words, and whilst she didn't feel that insecure, she didn't want to parade it around either.

"I'm a near 6ft woman who wears full leather and has more illustrations on her body than a art museum. This," She pointed to the blind eye. "is probably the most normal thing about me. I guess I'm a little like you. I just don't fit in." Vera fiddled with the shades in her hand.

Cas nodded thoughtfully.

"Is that why you chose to help me?" He asked.

"What, because we're both _misfits_?" Vera chuckled again. It was a deep sound, resonating in the back of her throat. She scooted up to the end of the seats, nearly touching knees with her companion. "There's no angels in heaven Castiel. Heavens shut down. Out of business. I'd like to go somewhere when I die you know, and I'd rather it not be hell."

Cas seemed sorrowful when she mentioned heaven, and regret nearly oozed out of his pores.

"That was because of me." He said, spitting out the words as if they were acid on his tongue.

"Yeah, I heard that." She whispered. Her gaze was not one of pity, or an accusing one. It was just one of acceptance. A '_hey I know you fucked up. But we've all been there' _kind of look.

"After everything I've done, you'll still help me?" Cas ask gingerly, unsure of what her answer might be.

"I was always taught that if you make a mistake, you should be the one to correct it." Whilst it didn't answer Cas' question directly, Vera placed a hand on his shoulder. "And if you need help in doing that, I guess I can lend a hand." Her lips perked up at the corners slightly, to what Cas must have thought was her version of a smile. "There's nothing better on T.V anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

Sleep did not come easy for Cas that night.

He found himself experiencing dreams, or rather nightmares, about his fall from heaven. He had dreams of Metatron, Naomi, and every angel that could fit in his vast memory dating back millennia's. All of them were frowning and all of them very much out for his blood. Awaking with his forehead damp and his back practically soaked, he found Vera once again watching over him behind the metallic shine of her shades. She stretched out her legs when she saw his eyes peek open and stood.

"You ready to move on?" She asked, her voice a little gentler than it's usual gravelly tone.

"Um, yes." Cas wiped his forehead, finding his sleeves damp afterwards. Standing on shaky legs, he followed behind Vera who began to exit the bus. Using the rails along the bus, Cas stumbled along the pathway as if it was still moving. Vera cast a look behind her before she descended the steps, and whilst the angel could not see behind her aviators, her eyes wrinkled in worry.

The sun had barely rose and the city was covered in the fresh morning dew. The air smelt stale and stagnant, and Vera did not want to even contemplate whether or not the smell had clung to her too. Her breath clouded as she exhaled, and though her leather jacket and trousers were thick, the cold still managed to seep through. It always did.

"You were tossing and turning a lot last night." Vera stated as they made there way back up to the streets.

"I had... visions. In my sleep." Cas said wrapping his arms around himself in a effort to stay warm.

"You mean, dreams?"

Cas nodded his head, and Vera pressed no more about that subject as she saw his eyes sadden in remorse. After their chat last night and his mumbling in his sleep, she saw her angelic friend in a different light. The air grew a little tense around them and followed them like a bubble, so she decided to talk about something else.

"That man last night, he was an angel?"

Cas nodded again.

"I did not know his name, but his quickness to find me is worrying." They stopped at a crossing as cars raced past.

"Is there no way to prevent them from finding us?" Vera shouted over the roar of the engines.

Cas thought for a moment, and she could practically hear the cogs grinding inside his mind. He eventually spoke up as the cars and trucks came to a halt and they crossed.

"There is an Enochian symbol, a ward, to prevent them from finding either of us. We can use it to shield us when we next find shelter."

Vera wanted to shake him for not mentioning this sooner, but she took what she could get. And whilst she thought it was a good plan, there was still a flaw that discomforted her.

"The can still find us on the road, we need a more permanent solution."

Cas wore his trademark look of confusion and Vera smirked slightly.

* * *

><p>"You ever been tattooed before, Cas?"<p>

Catching a bus to the next city up with the remaining change Vera had in her pocket, they made course for a tattoo parlor she had frequented before. Getting more ink done lightened her mood a bit, and the journey was made more interesting by Cas' frequent questions about different parts and feelings of a human.

"What exactly is morning glory?" Cas' voice broke Vera's daydreaming as she stared at the blurring streets flying by. It took a second for what he said to kick in, and Vera almost choked on her answer. She coughed lightly and fidgeted in her seat.

"Uh, where did you hear that?" Her voice cracked as it went up a few decibels.

"I heard one of the men mention it at the church. Is it something religious?" His eyes desperately tried to find hers, and Vera did everything she could to try and avoid them.

_God bless his innocence._

She was not prude, but it wasn't exactly a topic she would discuss openly on public transport.

"Yeah, um, lets go with that." Vera scratched the back of her neck awkwardly and almost bolted from her seat when the bus came to a halt near their destination. Cas did not seem satisfied with her answer, but followed her off of the bus nonetheless.

A several hour bus ride made their bones stiff, and Vera was glad to finally stretch her legs as they began walking once again. Whilst the mornings and evenings were bitter and harsh, midday was hot and stuffy, and she found herself taking off her jacket and tying it around her waist. Being pale and dark haired, Vera did not welcome the sun at all, and was glad when they finally made it inside.

When they entered the shop she had mentioned, there sat a evidently bored looking woman who was playing with her nails idly. Upon seeing Vera enter, her eyes perked up, and she looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"...Vera?" The name came out as both a gasp and a question, and the blonde haired lady looked ready to drop.

Vera just chuckled lightly and nodded her head in greeting at her presumed-friends reaction.

"Susan." She stated.

The receptionist stared on for a moment before shaking her head and swallowing. Cas once again stood their awkwardly.

"You here for more ink? Didn't think you had much space left." Susan said, tapping her pen against the desk, much to Vera's annoyance.

"Yeah, but this is only a small one."

"But of very large importance." Cas chimed in.

Susan finally noticed the man to Vera's left. Looking him up and down slowly, Vera rolled her eyes at her former friends failure at hiding her obvious attraction. The tattooed woman coughed loudly, and the lady behind the desk straightened her posture and flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

"What is it?" Her voice had a more sultry tone to it. Ignoring it to the best of her ability, Vera asked for a pen and paper, and then asked Cas to describe the symbol they required to be protected from any unwanted visitors.

Glancing around the shop and leaning against the desk as her angelic companion described in great detail the Enochian symbol, Vera felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked around and outside the clear shop window and couldn't see anyone, but she was desperate to move along quickly. The quicker they were warded, the safer she would feel. After the symbol was drawn and copied over to the right paper, Cas lifted up his shirt and pointed to a spot on his abdomen. Susan's eyes lit up like the 4th of July. Cas seemed to feel as uncomfortable as Vera did, and quickly tugged his top back down. Tearing her eyes from the spot she was staring, Susan then asked where Vera would like hers.

"Does it have to be in a certain spot?" Vera asked Cas, staring back outside of the shop window.

"No, as long as it's on the skin." He replied.

Susan merely looked confused but didn't ask any questions. Vera nodded and leaned over the desk to whisper in her friends ear. After a few murmurs which Cas couldn't make out, and a raise of the eyebrows from the blonde woman, they agreed and Vera was lead to the back. Cas was tattooed by a man.

Through the sitting, he often found himself looking behind him to see where his companion had gone, and wondered just where Vera was planning on having the tattoo. Cas found the whole experience uncomfortable, and could not understand why his friend would want so many on her body if the process was as painful as he found it. After an hour or so when the ink was finished and Vera returned from the back, she smiled slightly but walked as if she had ridden a horse for a week. Susan bid them goodbye, and when Vera went to hand over her card to pay she refused, and said something about them getting together and catching up, then threw a glance to Cas and smirked. The look on Vera's face suggested that they wouldn't.

_There are over 7 trillion nerves in the human body, and this woman has the talent of getting on each and every one of them. _

Looking at his face in the daylight, Vera noticed he looked a bit gaunt and sickly, and mentally grimaced when she realized they had not eaten since the day before. She was used to going a couple of days without food, but he probably wasn't. They managed to find a cheap diner that looked as if it was transported straight out of the 50's, but it served decent food and they were both thankful for the rest. Cas did make a note of how gingerly Vera sat down.

"Where did you get the tattoo?"

Vera only looked slightly surprised this time, she was beginning to get used to silence and then his outburst of conversation by then.

"Like I said, I don't have a lot of space left... so I had to go for somewhere... not everyone would see." She hid her expression behind her cup as she took a drink.

"Like... your ankles?" Cas did not even look at her when he spoke nonchalantly, but Vera choked on her drink all the same in amusement.

_There was no way he was being serious. No way. _

"What is this the 1800's?" Vera chuckled dryly.

"Aha, there were no cars in the 1800's." Cas shook his head smiling as if his companion was the idiot.

Had this been when they first met, Vera most likely would of kicked his teeth in for even lightly insinuating she was stupid, but she would be lying if she said his personality was not growing on her. She often found herself comparing him to a puppy, albeit a very old and probably a once-very powerful one, but a puppy nonetheless. The corners of her lips upturned into a smile.

They ate in a comfortable silence again as Vera planned where they would head next. Now that they were warded, she thought they could go almost anywhere, but thought better to ask him in case of there was a collection of angels somewhere she didn't know about. Turns out Cas knew about as much as Vera did when it came to the whereabouts of their favorite winged friends, so any place they chose would have been a shot in the dark. They discussed more the weaknesses of angels, and she found there were many more than what she initially knew about. She learnt about his angel blade and how that was the best weapon they had on themselves, they brushed lightly on the different wards they could use and for once Vera found herself listening intently. Up until a year ago she denied that angels even existed, but there she was discussing how to kill an angel with an angel no less.

"There's some place I'd like to visit." Cas spoke up after a while of silence as their empty plates were being taken away.

"Such as?" She looked up from her coffee and saw her friend staring outside of the window, a distant look upon his rugged features.

"A chapel. I heard there was one around here."

Vera thought for a moment, and whilst her geography skills were sub-par, she knew there was one around nearby. Though it did confuse her as to why he would want to.

"A... chapel? Any particular reason why?" She was curious as to why an angel, powers or no, would want to visit some place like that. A place that was primarily used to pray to... well angels.

"I don't know, I just... want to."

Vera paid for the meals and after asking for directions, they set off once again. She found herself contemplating what she was even meant to do. Her main priority was to protect the man beside her, for reasons that were unsure even to herself, but she wondered for how long. They couldn't run forever.

When they finally found themselves outside of the quaint chapel, Vera took a large inhale of breath. For once in her short existence, she felt nervous.

Greeted with the smell of must and wood, the chapel was even more stuffier than the bus they had used to get there. Cas lead the way and three rows from the front he sat down. Vera did not know whether to sit down with him or to simply leave him to it as she wondered around aimlessly. She chose the first one, and sat down a foot or two from him and reclined, trying to get as comfortable as she could on hard wooden pews. Looking at the stain glass windows depicting angels and light, it felt strange to the tattooed woman to know that they were real and much more dangerous than she could contemplate. Life still had a way of surprising her sometimes, and after her escapades as a hunter, she found herself a little more open minded when it came to religion. If angels and demons and everything in between were real, than she wondered why shouldn't God be too?

"Are you religious?" Cas asked, after many minutes of staring at the wooden carving taking center-stage at the front.

"Me? I... don't know. I'm more of a seeing is believing type woman." She answered nonchalantly, even though the topic always made her feel uncomfortable.

"I saw the angels wings upon your back." Cas gave her a serious look, and for a moment she could see behind the blue eyes at what really lay within.

She let out a puff of air, and drummed her fingers along the back of the pew.

"Yeah, well I had that done before I even knew you existed. They don't particularly mean anything. They're more for... aesthetics."

Large shaded feathered wings stretched across both of her shoulder blades and to her elbow, and the ends almost reached the bottom corners of her back. It was the first tattoo she had even got.

"Do you wish you one?" He asked. Vera shifted a little under his gaze.

"Do I wish I was an angel?" She let out a dry laugh. "There were many things I wish I was, rich and drunk for example, but I don't think I'd make a good servant of God."

Cas frowned and turned to face the woman beside him.

"You took in someone who was helpless, confused and alone. You protected them and guided them when they needed it most. Is that not what an angel does?"

Words seemed to escape Vera for a moment as she stared into her partners intense gaze. For a moment she found herself lost in the blue of his eyes. She coughed into her hand and looked away, suddenly finding the rows of pews opposite them very interesting.

"I... suppose so. Still, you angels are not what I imagined you to be."

"I find myself seeing you in a different light also. You are much more kinder than I originally thought. I find it surprising." At her raised eyebrow Cas coughed a little. "You humans, I mean."

"Huh, us humans are full of surprises. Can't say I wasn't a bit shocked when I first met you either. Who would have known that the first angel I met would be half naked in a launderettes." Vera chuckled deeply in her throat. Her smile died on her face when she looked back to her right to see another look of remorse painted across his face. It seemed whenever the topic of angels was brought up, it always ended up with him rolling in a ball of self-pity. Vera rolled her eyes harshly and removed her glasses so she could drag her hands across her face in exasperation.

"Ok, I cant deal with this." She adjusted herself so she sat facing him. "Look, you fucked up. I get it. You fucked up big time. You put your trust in the wrong person and he screwed you over. Guess what, that happens every day down here friend. People do each other over for a lot lower reasons that the one you got done for. You can't change the past Castiel, believe me, we all wish we could. But you know what you can change?" She stared at him and when he said nothing she answered for him. "The future. You can't walk forward if your staring behind."

He frowned at her for a minute, and Vera was glad she was in no real danger of being struck down, but powers or no, his harsh glare unnerved her. An apology rose in her throat, but before it could be voiced, he sat up straight. No words left his lips but eventually his expression lightened and looked as if he was seeing the world for the first time. She let out a sharp exhale and placed her shades back on. Looking one last time upon the stained glass windows, the gazes of the angels was almost piercing now.

"Now, we're never going to get anything done-"

Vera's head snapped behind her as she heard a commotion outside. Cas heard it too, and as they stared at the door for a mere moment, they heard a gunshot. Giving each other one glance, they both raced for the door. Her hand flew for gun and after shouldering the door open, she found the source of the noise. On the other side of the street lay a crowd of people surrounding something that the pair of them couldn't see. Vera thought maybe it was simple hit and run or a shooting, something that on her list she would deem as normal, but knowing what she knew now, and seeing who she had in her presence, she did not take any chances. Keeping the gun in her hand but pressed closely to her side and out of view, she made her way through the crowd and as suspected, there lay a middle aged man, stone cold dead. There was still whispers of steam exiting the wound in his forehead from the heat of the bullet, and Vera had to take a moment to admire the marksmanship of whoever the bullet belonged to. Hearing the sirens wailing in the distance, Vera was grimly relieved that it was something so simple. A tragedy to most, but just a day on the grind for her. Holstering her weapon and releasing a breath Vera was very much aware she had been holding, she turned and made her way back through the crowd. Opening her mouth to speak to tell Cas not to worry, her words died on her lips as she realized... he was not there.

Darting her head left and right and doing a full 360, Vera could not find her angel in her lines of sight. Looking back to the chapel, she was certain he had followed her out when they had initially heard the noise. Throwing caution to the wind, she shouted out his name. A few people who heard above the noise of chattering, gasping and gossiping, cast her an odd look, but Vera did not care.

"Cas? Cas? Castiel?!" She shouted and made her way through the crowd again, seeing many rugged faces, but not the one she was searching for. The sirens of police cars and ambulances were almost ear-piercing now, and no matter how hard she screamed the words were drowned out. She felt as if she was stuck in a fish bowl trying to scream at the world outside. Scenarios darted through her mind of him being taken underneath her very nose, and for a moment she wondered if this was just a set-up to lore them outside. It worked if it was, and had Vera's heart not been in her throat she might have just appreciated the skill and smarts. Shoving roughly past the people in a fit of rage and loss, she could not see him anywhere.

Vera stood in the middle of the street as the commotion went on around her. And just for second, she felt lost.

"Cas?" She called weakly.


	4. Chapter 4

Vera kept a safe distance from the police. Having two pistols strapped to your thighs and tattoos from head to toe tended to make them nervous she found. She stood watching them clear the crowd and tow the body away, and she wondered how many bodies or body parts they had taken away that she had killed. Usually she burnt the remains of any supernatural being that she had tracked and taken down, but there were instances of when she had taken the head off its shoulders so fast that the head had been sent flying into a stream or bush. She watched on with a blank look across her face.

As her eye flicked over the scene, that's when she saw it. His coat. Past the sea of heads and helmets, she saw the back of him disappearing into one of the alleyways. Vera frowned so hard she almost gave herself a headache. Almost sprinting across the street and vaulting over a bench, she ran into the alley way after them. She saw him just as he turned a corner, and it was then she realized, he was not alone.

"Now who the fuck are you?" Vera whispered, as all she saw was a the blur of brown coat as it disappeared around the corner before Cas did.

Walking down the alleyway and pressing herself rather uncomfortably against the wall, she peeked her head around the corner. They stopped outside of a barred door near some dumpsters and began exchanging hushed words.

"If you think you can rely on her then you must be foolishly trusting." A voice that was definitely female became audible to Vera's ears. Taking another peek, she saw the owner of the voice as a petite red-head. Vera had made many enemies over the years, but this one she did not recognize. She was about to burst around the corner guns blazing but Castiel spoke up.

"She helped me. Why shouldn't I trust her?" He replied and questioned. It was her tone that made her pause.

Vera then was perfectly sure the conversation was about her. Cas did not look in any direct danger, and she knew he could handle himself, so she decided to stay behind the wall. Whatever dirt the smaller woman had on her, she wanted to know.

"Come inside, I can explain more. It's not safe here." Grabbing his wrist and leading him inside, Vera was dumbstruck as Cas followed her inside without second question. Vera fumed inside like a nosy mother.

Stepping into the open of the alley, she walked and stood where the two of them were standing before. Vera was glad to see the door was not locked behind them, whoever was leading Cas on must of thought they lost her in the crowd. Pulling the barred door back and then the wooden one behind it, she was careful not to make much noise to cause suspicion. Inside she was greeted by stairs, and the sound of footsteps. There was more whispering echoing off of the walls, but Vera paid it no attention as the main thought on her mind was blood. Taking two steps each time, a lot lighter than she normally trod, she followed them up, keeping at least two floors between them. The last thing Vera needed was a hostage situation. They rarely worked out well.

The footsteps above her came to a stop, and Vera looked above through the gaps and saw them outside of a door as the red-head unlocked it with her keys. Staying still for just a moment as they entered, Vera finally sprinted up the remaining stairs to the door. Kicking it down was a option, but whatever the redhead had to say, Vera wanted to hear it. Pressing her ear lightly against the door she heard the conversation. She held onto her gun in the holster with a white knuckle grip.

"Vera has done nothing but help me and protect me, and you insinuate that she is trying to harm me?" Cas' voice had a harsh anger to it, one the tattooed woman thought he was incapable of.

"Insinuate? I know Castiel! Listen to me, you're safer here. Relax. You don't understand what she is capable of."

Vera was very curious by this time to hear exactly she was apparently capable of.

"Then try and enlighten me." Cas growled. Vera would deny it to anyone who asked, but she found it rather endearing.

There was a loud sigh.

"How much do you know about reapers?"

The door came brutally off its hinges as it went crashing to the ground. Two pairs of eyes went snapping from each other to the undoubtedly very angry woman in front of them.

"I know enough to know you're a pain in my ass." Vera growled with fist clenched.

The red-head's eyes widened in fear as she grabbed a knife off of the table next to her. This did not stop Vera from walking towards her, narrowly dodging a stab and landing a clear right hook to the smaller woman's jaw. She stumbled back from the blow, still on her feet but temporarily dazed. She let out a winded laugh and clutched her jaw. Opening her mouth, she spoke with sadistic smile.

"I've got to admit, you've still got it." She chuckled and straightened her composure, gripping the knife a little tighter this time.

"'I've still got it'? I've never met you!" Vera hissed, blood and fury pumping in her veins.

"Oh come on, don't play coy! We used to be best buddies, you and I." She sauntered a few steps closer, smirking.

"What is she talking about Vera?" Cas asked, staying clear out of the way but now with his angel blade in hand.

"I don't know!" Vera barked instantly.

"Vera? That's the name you're going by now? Not the one I'd pick for you, but you were always a bit of an oddball." The smirk grew into a large smile, and Vera decided she had enough of her mind games.

Castiel stood back and did not intervene when Vera and April started to tear into each other. Vera made a note of this, and she decided when she had finished with the woman who had just thrown her clear over the side of the kitchen, she would ask him why. Giving as good as they got, mirrors were smashed, chairs broken, tables flipped and windows cracked as the fight raged on. Even though Vera had more muscle than April did from years of taking down the supernatural, when they were both finally flung to the floor with with April on top, Vera could not overpower her. The knife was dangling precariously in front of Vera's throat with April putting all of her strength behind it, and Vera's arms shook with the pressure as she desperately tried to push it back. Out of breath and severely bloodied, she panted with exertion.

"Cas... a little help... would be appreciated!" She gasped, as the knife was now a mere centimeter from piercing her windpipe.

"Help me Castiel! We can end this now and you'll be safe!" Aprils nose was tilted slightly to the right from being broken, but it did not seem to affect her much as she shouted to the man behind her.

Shards of glass from a shattered mirror dug painfully into Vera's back through her leathers, and she tasted copper in her mouth from a busted lip.

Cas stood there, his grip repeatedly tightening and relaxing on his blade. His face showed his anger at his dilemma and the only movement he made was a frown. Vera's glasses had long since been knocked off her face, and Cas could see the pain in her eye from his refusal to move. Pain that quickly turned to anger.

Using the new found strength, she managed to roll them over and rip the knife from her hands. Without a second thought, she stabbed it through Aprils hand and deep into the floor boards. She let out an ear piercing wail as the cold steel of the knife tore through her flesh and the wood below it. Blood puddled into the cracks. Turning around Vera held her arm out.

"Pass me the blade Castiel!" She panted as she could feel a droplet of blood from a wound on her head drip down the sides of her face and jaw. Castiel froze for another moment whilst April tried to tear the knife from the floorboard. "Please! It's the only way you'll kill a reaper!"

Cas threw the blade towards her, and catching it hilt first, Vera plunged the knife into Aprils chest in one fluid movement. The reaper inside her died, light pouring from her eyes, nose and mouth. The vessel it was occupying died with a look of surprise upon it's soft features. Vera sat there on her knees for a moment, hovering over the body and clawing for breath. Her chest stung with exertion, and her throat and palate were bone dry. Her left shoulder throbbed and burned, and Vera presumed it dislocated. Silence hung heavily over the room as all could be heard was Vera's deep breaths. She stood eventually, and turned to Castiel on wobbling legs.

"Would you... like to tell... me... what that... was about?" She clutched her side with her good arm as she could feel a long cut stretch across it.

"What are you, Vera?" He asked stone cold. His eyes showed no hint, feeling or emotion as he simply stared at Vera as if he was seeing her for the first time.

"What do... you... mean?" Vera was caught off guard by his aggressive stance and monotone voice. She was close to passing out and wanted to tend to her wounds, not have a philosophical conversation about who they really were inside.

"How did you know she was a reaper?" Cas asked, same tone and expression on his face.

Vera did not answer straight away, and the tension was so thick it could pierced with the very blade she was holding. She remained silent as she met his glare. Swallowing heavily, she answered.

"I'm a hunter Cas... it's not the first time... I've come across one. Now stop... with the suspicious... bull-shit... and...ugh... help... me..."

Cas ran over to her just as she began to pass out, her eyes glazing over and her legs turning to jelly. He placed his arm under her underarms as she fell against him. She tried hard to move her legs and had to focus hard on trying to move one foot in front of the other.

"Do I... take you to a hospital?" Cas asked gingerly.

Vera scoffed.

"Cas... I'm wanted in over 4 states for murder and another 2 for obstruction of justice... just try to find me a... first aid kit."

Gently placing her on the sofa, she groaned heavily as she felt bile rising in her throat. Cas dashed frantically around the apartment searching draws and cabinets for anything with a red cross on it, whilst Vera swayed side to side, dipping in and out of consciousness. Desperately trying not to trip over broken furniture, he finally raided the kitchen and found what Vera had told him to find. Grabbing it, he went back to where he seated Vera. He held a look of surprise as she was draped across the couch, eyes shut and looked not to be breathing. Cas panicked for a minute thinking she might of died, but pressing two fingers into the soft part of her neck he found a pulse. A weak one, but a pulse none-the-less.

Out of impulse, he then went to place his two fingers against her forehead, but left the hand hovering when he realized he was still human. Letting the arm fall limp to his side, he let out deep sigh as he looked at the condition his companion was in. Cas never knew that a simple kitchen knife could cut so easily through leather. He peeled her now shredded jacket off of her shoulders and rolled it up to use it as a makeshift pillow. Lifting her head up gently, he placed the jacket under her head. Cas then remembered that he knew absolutely nothing about medicine, or how to heal without the use of his powers. For perhaps the 10th time that day, he felt completely and utterly useless.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, feeling a pang of guilt as he stared on at his passed out partner. "You came and saved me and... I let you down. It's all I seem able to do now."

Brushing a piece of hair that had fallen out of her tight ponytail behind her ear, his eyes wrinkled in sadness. He looked at the first aid kit and opened it. There were bandages, disinfectant, tweezers, cleansing wipes, some painkillers, distilled water and other things that Cas had no idea how to use. There was a small leaflet on how to treat minor wounds or abrasions, but not how to fix a popped kneecap or a cut the size of his forearm. Deciding to start small and trying to remember all the times Sam and Dean had treated each others wounds, he began with the smaller ones. Cleaning them with the wipes and placing plasters over them, Vera started to look as if she had been caught in a blast at a sticker factory. He then started on the bigger wounds, cleaning and trying to bandage what he could see. Staring down at her, nearly every wound in sight either bandaged or plastered, she did not look how the Winchesters normally looked. She looked like a mummy.

Standing and placing his arms under her knees and back, he picked her up and searched for the room April would have used as a bedroom. Finding it and opening the door with his shoulder, he placed Vera down on the bed. She stirred and groaned, but did not wake.

* * *

><p>It was then his stomach began to add to his ever-growing list of problems as it growled loudly. He gave one last look at the woman on the bed before leaving the bedroom. Staring at the kitchen, which had absolutely been trashed during the confrontation, he sighed with despair.<p>

Waking up several hours later, dizzy, sick and completely unaware of what day or year it was, Vera groaned loudly as the light of the street lamps outside shone in. Even the dingy light coming from under the door was too harsh to look at as her head pounded in time with her heartbeat. Vera could not name one part of her body that didn't ache, throb or pound.

"Wh-... where..." Was all she managed to choke out. Kicking her legs over the side of the bed as if they were made of lead and not flesh, she sat fully up, and instantly regretted it. Her vision swam and spots dotted her vision. When it cleared up and realizing now where she was, a rush of panic swam through her when she did not see Cas. The sound of something sizzling and the smell of burning greeted her nostrils and did not help the growing queasiness in the pit of her stomach. Attempting to stand, she collapsed immediately to the ground as a shoot of pain ran up her right leg.

_Oh right. A popped knee cap. _

Sitting, she grabbed her knee and tried to pop it back in place. It was something she had done before, and she knew it had never recovered properly, but what she did forget was how painful the process was. Cursing things that would make a demon blush, when she heard the tell tale _crack _she knew it had been done. It would be excruciatingly painful to walk on for the next few days, but it was in place. Mostly in place.

Standing up her vision began to blur again, and for a moment she thought she would black out, but when her vision started to level, she took her trembling legs towards the door, using the wall to stable herself.

"Just like... the college days..." She grumbled, finally grasping the door handle and pulling. Almost falling through the door way with the shock of the sudden burst of light, she made her way through the hallway with her arm shielding her eye. It was then she noticed most of her body was completely covered in white bandages.

When she was finally in the main room the sound of burning got louder, and there she saw Cas. Through her pain-daze, she still smiled at the sight in front of her. Cas was running about the kitchen panicking as a fire was burning in a pan, muttering and cursing to himself. Whatever he was attempting to cook, Vera thought that it was probably done by now.

Taking a few steps closer, she was surprised Cas had not noticed her yet, but he seemed to preoccupied with the chaos going on in front of him.

"You know... eggs really aren't meant to be black." She laughed, her voice deep and gravelly.

Cas dropped the glass of water he had in hand and gasped, turning to find Vera leaning on the counter for support. The glass did not break, but the water spilled over his shoes and he looked close to a mental breakdown.

"Sit down Cas, I don't planned on being cremated just yet." She pushed past him, and although the smell of burning eggs made her dry heave, she still grabbed the pan and threw it in the sink. Turning the tap on, steam filled the air around them.

"N-no, your weak, you need rest." Cas went to gently push Vera aside, but somehow using the remaining strength she had she stood her ground and place her bandaged hand on his shoulder.

"I am injured Cas, believe me I know. But I'm pretty sure you don't feel like charcoal for dinner, so sit down." Vera said, and taking the hint from her haggard and _no-more-questions_ look, Cas backed up and watched from afar.

Scrubbing the pan till it was clean enough to cook in, she placed it back on the hob and turned it on. Using the remaining eggs that were left, she cracked them into the pan and a few minutes later, they began to turn white. Placing them on the a plate she then she pulled a few rations of bacon out of the fridge and placed them in the pan next.

"You better be watching, don't expect me to play mommy for the rest of our time together." She said throwing a glance behind her.

Cas stood closer and watched from over her shoulder.

"How come your eggs are white?" He asked.

Vera let out a chuckle as the bacon was almost done.

"Because you drowned the pan in oil and had the heat so high that it made the sun look like a light bulb."

When the bacon was done she turned the heat off and put them on the plate unceremoniously. Finding the draw with the knives and forks in she put one of both on the side.

"Done. Now," Turning around she set her mouth in a thin line. "Why do I look like Tutankhamun?" She asked, outstretching her completely bandaged arms.

Cas fumbled with his fingers.

"I didn't know..." He began.

"How to dress wounds properly?" She said in disbelief. "Oh for the life of me..."

She handed him his plate and limped over to sit down on the sofa without another word. Grunting and ripping the unnecessary plasters off of her face, she looked up and whilst Cas was sitting at the counter eating, there was the same look of self-pity and remorse across his face. Vera sighed, and started unwrapping the many wrappings around her body like Christmas had come early. Whilst he used too much, she had to admit that he had cleaned the cuts rather effectively.

When Cas had finished and began to clean his plate, Vera beckoned him over with a wave of the hand.

"Since I've suddenly taken on the role of teacher today, you might as well learn how to dress a wound properly." He took a seat next to her, watching with eager eyes.

"See these little cuts?" She pointed to small nicks and scratches across her arms that were the size of her pinky. "These don't need bandages. While I appreciate your caution, they don't need covering up. They'll heal up no problem and just scar over. But now these," She then pointed to the large wound across her stomach and the cut on the side of her head. "You were right to bandage those. They could have used stitches but I'll take my chances."

Vera turned her head to face him and it was then she realized how close they were to each other. Cas seemed to have not learnt the basics of personal space, so he was so close that she could feel his breaths across her cheek. When his eyes flicked up to meet her own, she quickly looked away and cleared her throat.

"Oh yeah...uh, you ever tugged a shoulder back in it's socket before?" With the commotion of Cas almost burning down the apartment, she had almost forgot about the throbbing in her shoulder. At her question he frowned heavily.

"Is that... safe?"

Vera rolled her eyes and before she could realize what she was doing, she put her hands in his and moved them to the correct positions on her shoulder. His hands were hot on her cool skin, and Vera shivered slightly at the contact.

"Now give it a sharp push here... and here."

Vera screwed her eyes shut in anticipation, and waited for the inevitable pop... or break. Surprisingly, he did it in one try, and whilst she grunted loudly as it fell back in place, it was better than she had ever done before. Giving it a shrug and roll, it still throbbed but she knew it would heal well.

"That's... not so bad. You've never done that before?" She looked at him, still uncomfortably close as he shook his head and shrugged. "Well, that was good for a first try. You never fail to amaze me Cas."

Holding his deep stare for just a moment longer, she stood back up and placed her weight on her good leg. Feeling a strange warm contact around her wrist she looked down to see his hand on her wrist and his eyes searching for hers. She raised an eyebrow and was about to question what he was doing, but before she could he stood too and spoke.

"I am sorry about earlier. I should have helped you and I just... stood there..." He mumbled, quickly averting his stare.

Vera let out a deep exhale and she shot a glance at the hand still on her wrist.

"I can see why you might have hesitated. There's a lot you don't know about me Cas, but I can assure you," She placed both of her hands on his shoulders, and he looked up and met her gaze once again. "What you see is what you get." Vera found it odd meeting a man the same height as her, but she was rather tall for a woman her age. "I only have your safety in mind. My intentions, for once, are actually pure. You have no need to worry."

Cas' expression lightened into admiration, and for the first time he acknowledged that he wasn't looking at someone who was just helping him; he found himself looking at a friend. One that he was coming to rely on, and even admire.

"Then you have my thanks. I can't express how grateful I am to you-"

"I get it, I'm not good with thank you's..." She chuckled awkwardly and ran her eyes around the room. "So let's just skip to the part where we move that rotting body from the middle of the floor."

For the first time, they both smiled together.

* * *

><p><span>AN: Sorry if this was a bit, well, wank. It was wank to write. Hope you've enjoyed it this far anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

After a lot of hassle and cursing from Vera's half, they managed to throw the body into a dumpster outside of the apartment blocks. Whilst they would have had no alibi or way of explaining what they were doing if someone were to catch them, luckily no one was out or about. The sounds of their footsteps echoed off the barren walls as they began their ascension to the apartment again.

"You couldn't have been a reaper." Cas mumbled to himself. Vera's head turned to his direction as she frowned.

"What?" She snapped.

"You couldn't have been a reaper." He repeated.

"...alright. I'm glad we have that established."

"Reapers in human vessels still have powers, though they are limited. You could have used them in your fight against April."

Vera chuckled at the angels ramblings. She wasn't entirely sure he was talking directly to her as he stared down at the steps below him.

"And April could have used them on me, but she didn't." Vera whispered.

Cas heard and looked up at this, tilting his head slightly.

"That is... true." Cas looked at her with an expression Vera couldn't pinpoint.

"But you know what I could have used back there?" She asked.

"What?"

They rounded another corner as they finally made it to their floor.

"Your help."

Vera had never kicked a puppy before, but if she did, she imagined it would pull the same expression as Cas did then. Whilst it was meant as more of a playful jab, she didn't mean for it to sting as much as it probably did.

"I... didn't mean that... I... never-mind." She mumbled quickly, as they reached where the apartment door was meant to be.

Entering, it still looked as if it had seen 3 world wars, but without the body in the center of it, it certainly looked better. After Cas entered, she lifted the door until it was back in place. It wasn't really a door anymore, but more of a blockade.

"You're probably exhausted. Go to bed." Vera made a 'shooing' gesture with her hand as she headed to the kitchen on a hunt for any type of painkillers.

"Aren't you tired?" He yawned. One of the things that still remained on the wall was the clock. It read 12:23am.

"I'm alright Cas. Just get some rest. I want to leave this town behind tomorrow morning."

He looked to the floor for a moment in hesitation, but whispering a goodnight and leaving for the bedroom.

Vera found the painkillers, but after walking past the fridge to find the door still open, she spied a 6-pack of beer that seemed just as enticing. After glancing to the tub of aspirin in her hand, to the cold bottles of booze in the fridge, she threw the pills behind her and reached into the cold box. She walked over to the couch that still had bloodied bandages over it and twisted open the first bottle. Sighing in content, she was about to sit down until she heard her name being called. It sounded in pain, and Vera hobbled to the back room. Throwing open the door she expected the worst, but Cas just sat on the end of the bed, topless and rubbing his shoulders.

"What?" Vera asked, breathing a little heavier than usual.

"Why do my muscles hurt?" He asked innocently, grunting a little as he tried to massage the back of his neck.

"...are you serious?" She stuttered.

"Of course, why would I ask otherwise?"

Vera's grip on the bottle tightened until her knuckles were white, but she took a deep breath to calm herself. Taking a long swing of the beer, she spoke again, a little more gentle this time.

"What do you mean 'hurt'? Like you've torn one?" She walked over to him and swatted his hand away from his body.

"No, they... ache."

Examining what she could see, there was nothing that worried her.

"It's probably just tension or something. I used to get it a lot when I first started hunting. Not enough rest and too much travelling." She stated as she sat down next to him, though a little further on the bed so she could see his back fully. Placing the beer beside her feet, she placed her hands on his shoulders. He jerked from the sudden contact.

"What are you doing?" He gasped from her cold touch.

"The tension needs to be worked out. It'll only get worse if I don't help you." She said. Picking the bottle back up, she shoved it in his hands. "Relax."

Starting at the nape of the neck, she used her fingertips and her palms to knead the tense muscles there. Vera was surprised how much tension he was carrying for such a cool and collected person. She moved to his shoulder blades, using her thumbs to work out a particularly tough knot. He grunted a little as she applied pressure, but said nothing. She dragged her thumbs down his spine, before spreading them out to massage the muscles just above the rim of his trousers.

"Do you... do this for everyone?" Cas picked his words carefully.

Vera chuckled a little, and she could feel him relax slightly under her palms.

"This?" She wondered if he meant the massage or the overall protection. Either way the answer was no.

"You don't seem the type to... offer this to anyone you meet."

This time Vera let out a small puff of air, which Cas took as the closest he was ever going to get to a full laugh from her.

"Okay, that didn't sound odd at all. You mean the massage right?"

"Um, yes."

Vera raised an eyebrow but reverted back to his original question.

"No, I don't 'offer this' to everyone I meet. You're well-being is my concern and if it means doing something as menial as this, then so be it." She stated.

She moved back up to his shoulders and undid the knots in his traps, where there was a large collection of them. He let out a small sigh as the muscles became less taught. Vera would be lying if she said she felt comfortable doing this to someone she had known for less than two weeks, and especially to someone of the opposite gender, but she told herself if that was what it took for a few moments silence then that is what she would do. Physical contact in this sort of manner was not something Vera was used to.

Cas felt slightly awkward at the loss of conversation, and began to ask questions once again.

"How long have you been hunting?" His voice wavered slightly.

"Nearly 13 years. Started my first hunt when my friend became a vampires main course. I didn't know that at the time though." Vera's eyes stared over Cas' shoulders with a glazed look, as she relived a much easier time.

"How did you kill him if you didn't know what he was?" Cas asked.

"I didn't. I went chasing after my friend and this vampire asshole and I got caught up too. I would be sinking my teeth into your throat right now if it wasn't for the man who saved us." Vera removed her hands from his back as she moved to sit next to him again.

"Who was he?" He looked at her as he asked again.

"I have no idea even to this day. He killed the vampire and it's nest and left without another word. Of course being the inquisitive little thing I was, I had to know what they were. Did my research and found out what really lurks out there in the dark corners of the world. Much simpler times." Vera talked to him as if it was something she read in the news, and not something she had lived and breathed through.

"What made them simple?" Cas frowned. He was certain that her version of simple was much more different than his own.

"Well that was before I found out about angels, demons, pagan gods and everything else that could kill me with a flick of the wrist." She smirked to herself grimly. "But you don't want to listen to me talking about the 'old days' as if I'm 80 years old. I'll let you get some sleep." She stood and began to make for the door, until she heard Cas murmur something.

"I... actually don't mind."

With her hand still around the door handle, she turned her head.

"You are many things Cas, but a good liar is not one of them." She said.

Cas played with his fingers for a moment as he picked out his words.

"All of my problems so far have been on a colossal scale - things that could tip the balance of the world. I find it pleasant to listen to someone who's dealing with something so much smaller."

While the indirect insult did not miss Vera for a moment, she was beginning to understand his method of portraying his point. Whilst she was not as flattered as Cas had hoped, she appreciated what he was trying to say.

"I don't think my life has been as interesting as yours." She spoke as she walked into the middle of the room. "I mean, travelling with the Winchesters, trapping Lucifer and killing Leviathans."

"How do you know about that?" Cas frowned.

"Who doesn't know about the Winchesters and the famous fallen angel? You're more popular than you think."

"It hasn't been as glorious as you've probably heard." He murmured as he stared back down at his shoes.

"Then tell me the real version." She sat back next to him. When he tilted his head in confusion she shrugged. "I'm a sucker for tragic tales."

For the rest of the night they exchanged tales of their adventures, what they had seen and what they wished they hadn't. Vera had thought she had heard everything before, but there were something things that shocked even her. Hearing the tale about Lucifer's rise and fall particularly intrigued her, and she found herself hanging on every word that came out of her friends mouth. She grabbed the rest of the beers out of the living room and they drank and talked for what seemed like an age. Realizing his tolerance for alcohol was rather low, she finished his drink for him and took over on the talking. As the sun rose and the sunlight began to peak through the window, she could see Cas' eyes begin to hang heavy. She called it a night, or morning, and told him to get rest whilst she made some arrangements for transportation. Not being in a fit condition for long distance treks, she did not want to walk further than she had to. Cas passed out without another word.

Making her way back to the living room, she nearly slipped on her broken glasses. Picking them up she gave them a solemn look. After her encounter with the werewolves and their leader, they were her first and only pair. They looked as if they had been placed under a steam roller. Throwing them to the side with a disgruntled sigh, she found her phone in her jacket pocket. With a deep breath and a crack of the knuckles, she swallowed a scream as she realized that it had broke in the fight too. The only thing still in her possession that wasn't damaged, cracked or completely destroyed was her fake credit card and her guns.

Sitting on the sofa and toying with the piece of plastic in her hands, she debated whether or not to purchase a new jacket, as her old one had become nothing but strips of leather. Cas would be out for a while, and Vera could not recall the last time she had bought something for herself. Frowning, Vera realized she struggled to recall quite a few things about her past lately, but she shrugged it -

_Crash_.

Her train of thought derailed as the door to the apartment once again was kicked across the room. The noise making Vera almost leap out of her skin, she jumped to her feet and withdrew her gun, aiming it at the two intruders. Her eyes almost blew out of her skull as she recognized who the two intruders were. Their eyes scanned the room in panic, and when they lay upon the tattooed woman in front of them, the shorter one of the pair withdrew his weapon too.

"Drop the gun lady." He said coolly.

"Do you honestly see that happening?" She growled back.

His eyes almost seemed to zoom in on her face, and when they did his mouth hung agape.

"No way... you get out of that body right now!" He barked. The taller one looked down at his partner with confusion.

"Dean, what-" He started.

"You listen here you reaper son-of-a-bitch, if you don't leave that body exactly as you found it i'll-" Dean began, but was cut off.

"I don't know about you Dean, but have you ever tried crawling out of your own skin before? Ain't nothing in here but me!" Vera shouted back.

As Dean edged closer, she backed up. There was not a chance in hell that she could take on another fight, and especially not with the Winchesters.

"Don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining, Vera's dead! Now get the hell out, or i'll rip you out myself." He barked, snarling his teeth slightly.

"Dean-" Sam put a hand on his brothers shoulder, and whilst Dean only glanced to him, he seemed to relax just a little.

"I don't know what you saw Dean, but this is me. No demons, no angels, no reapers. Just _me_." She slowly lowered the gun and holstered it, before placing her hands above her head in a submissive gesture.

Dean bit his tongue, but he knew there was a no way Ezekiel would have brought them here if the woman in front of him wasn't a reaper. He debated whether or not to call him to the front, and see if he could prove his point, but decided against it. Lowering his gun even slowly than Vera did, he stared down his nose at her.

"Where did we first meet?" He asked.

Vera rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Detroit. You tried to pick me up at a Monty's bar with the pick-up line 'there are 206 bones in the human body, would you like one more?'" She said as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Dean stared blankly for a moment before smirking to himself at the memory. Vera remembered it as a fond memory too, when she was 21 and still had both her eyes.

"Have you seen an angel, this high, walks around looking a little confused?" Sam asked as Dean was too busy taking a trip down memory lane.

Vera didn't recognize Sam at first, throughout the years Dean hadn't changed one bit, whilst Sam looked different. A changed man somehow.

"You mean Cas? He's back there." She gestured behind her with her thumb. "Passed out not so long ago."

This seemed to shake Dean out of his reverie.

"He's here? Is he okay?" He asked a little bewildered at the chances.

"Yeah, he's fine. Got picked up by an _actual_ reaper." She shot Dean a glare. "I took it out, with a bit of hassle, but he's just back there getting some rest."

Sam murmured something about checking up on him as he went to were Vera pointed. Left in a uncomfortable silence, Dean soon broke it.

"So... you want to tell me how you came back from the dead?" He said sarcastically and non-nonchalantly at the same time.

"I didn't die, okay? It was a coma."

The other hunter picked up on the way she avoided eye contact immediately.

"Bullshit. I was there when they pronounced you dead. You were stone cold gone, Vera. I just thought you were cremated and buried. I didn't know you skipped your meeting with death." He was as close to being angry without actually being angry, and Vera could see it. Owing him an explanation, she quickly glanced behind her to see if Sam and Cas were clear out of earshot.

"Alright, alright. Maybe I did die, but I made a deal and I got out of it."

Dean pressed his hand to his forehead as if he was experiencing the worst migraine ever.

"Do not tell me you said what I think you just said. _Please_." Dean looked as if he was about to pop a blood vessel.

"It's not what you think - look. I'll explain later. Just... don't worry. You Winchesters always fear the worst." She whispered as she saw Sam and a very out of it Cas come trailing in. Dean went to open his mouth but Vera waved him off. He gave her an _we're-definitely-going-to-discuss-this-later_ look as he turned to Cas. His eyes widened in surprise at his friends condition.

"What happened to you, man?" Dean asked as Cas looked ready to drop.

"I... drank." He paused as he groaned. "Beer."

Dean frowned and glanced to Vera who shrugged. She held up her two fingers as a signal for how many beers the angel had and he rolled his eyes.

"Well, nice to see you were partying it up in a dead reapers apartment whilst we out searching for you!" He snapped, talking to Cas as if he was a teenager who had stayed out partying past his curfew.

"Vera.. looked after me...ugh my head." Cas groaned as he rubbed his temples.

Dean sighed, and he glanced to Sam who just shrugged.

"Right kids, we're going to take a trip back to the bunker, and you two are going to tell me what the hell is going on!" Dean barked, pointing to both Vera and Cas.

"Oh right, Dad. Lets go!" Vera mumbled sarcastically.

Dean pointed at her in warning, though there was no real heat behind it. Sam and Cas filed out of the apartment first, and then Dean. Vera stopped just at the doorway and looked behind her. A cold shiver crept up her spine and she shuddered heavily. Her breath seemed icy, as if she had just brushed her teeth.

"You coming, Vera?" Dean shouted up from the floor below her.

"Y-yeah." She stuttered. She glanced behind her once last time as she finally descended the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

The ride to the bunker was a quiet one. As soon as Cas' rear touched the back seat he was out for the count. Vera found out he was a silent sleeper and for a few moments or so she wasn't even sure he was breathing over the sound of the Impala. That was until Dean hit a bump and though Cas didn't wake, his head fell onto Vera's shoulder with a dull thump. Staring down at him with a mixture of amusement and confusion, she thought about propping him back up against the window, but he seemed comfortable. Even if she wasn't.

"You and Cas seemed to be best buddies." Dean observed, glancing in the rear-view mirror.

Vera just scoffed in response, as she took to watching the blurring scenery out of the window.

"What happened to you anyway?" He asked after a moments silence. "You look like an Egyptian."

"I've been out of the hunting game for a while okay. The reaper caught me off guard." She said, not entirely convinced by her response herself.

"I'm surprised you survived at all, the last I remember you were laid up in a hospital bed drawing your last breaths." Sam said, turning his body around the chair slightly so he could see her.

"Lung cancer is a bitch." She murmured.

Vera was diagnosed over a year ago, after coughing up so much blood she could fill a sink and harboring a pain that burned in her chest like a wildfire. Hospitals were not her favorite place, far, far from it, but when the first tendrils of fear snaked up her spine, the hospital became her home.

_Inoperable. The word repeated itself again and again in her brain. _

"_It's in it's final stages. Trying to start treatment now would be useless. You... don't have long left." _

_The office was eerily silent. The clock ticked, counting down to what Vera presumed was her inevitable end. She stared blankly over the bald doctors shoulder because she dare not look him in the eye, for fear of seeing pity. She chuckled. Out of everything she had done, after everything she had faced... this is how she would die. In a hospital bed. Gasping for breath. _

"_We can make you comfortable whilst you make the... necessary arrangements." _

"_I don't have any family." She said uncharacteristically quietly. _

"_How about friends? Do you have any friends you can contact?" _

_Vera's eyes met his and they glazed a little._

"_2." _

The car fell quiet once more as Sam turned back around. Dean reached over and switched the radio on to break the heavy silence. Rock music began to pour out of the speakers and he smiled to himself, happily humming along the the lyrics as Vera stared out of the window aimlessly. She missed her bike at that moment. She missed the wind beating against her, the chug of engine below her and the lightweight freedom it granted. A car she always found was confining, and such a small car such as the one she was in made her want to walk the many miles they had left. Cas fidgeted, and almost seemed to nuzzle into her shoulder. The tips of her ears began to turn red. Vera was amazed that he seemed to be sleeping so peacefully. Beer seemed outstanding when it came to helping you sleep, she thought.

The next few hours passed by relatively quietly and eventually they began to drive down the long bumpy road that lead to the bunker. The sun had just started to dip behind the surrounding trees, bathing the quiet area in a orange hue. Vera questioned the security of the bunker, and both Sam and Dean assured her it was safe, though she still had her doubts. They told her about the Men of Letters, and how they were part of it and it's history. They also mentioned a boy named Kevin Tran, a prophet of the Lord. Vera had never heard the story about prophets or what they did, but it somehow sounded strangely familiar. When they hit one particularly rough ditch, Cas jolted awake, looking very tired and very confused. He sat up and rubbed his stiff neck, looking dazed.

"I hope this bunker of yours has some good painkillers." Vera chuckled, as Cas started to pale.

Dean raised an eyebrow as he looked at the side mirror, and saw Cas looked ready to throw up. His expression turned from stoic to panic in a mere second. He stepped on the gas pedal. The car shook harder from the speed and bumps, and did nothing to stop the bile rising in her partners throat. She leant over so her mouth was next to his ear.

"Breathe deep and slow." She whispered.

Cas nodded and did as she said, and it seemed work. Whilst he could still feel the bacon and eggs churning in his stomach, he felt better and calmer.

They pulled to a stop outside of what Vera presumed was the entrance, and Dean almost cried in relief that his baby wasn't spoiled. Vera frowned at the view in front of her.

"Is this... it?" She questioned.

"Wait 'till you see inside." Dean said, looking like a child who could not wait to show his mother his new drawing.

Sam withdrew a key from a box and placed it in the lock, and it sounded as if a hundred locks had been undone instead of one. Vera stood a little further back from Sam and Dean, very much aware and uncertain. The door then opened, and after being the last one to enter, her expression changed to awe.

"Is this a bunker or a palace?" Vera mumbled, descending the steps with Cas. He groaned in reply, but she was too busy admiring everything to even notice.

It was strange to her to see a hunter actually call a place home. Vera always thought for a hunter to have a home was impractical and dangerous. She had not called a place home for a long time.

"We'll give you the grand tour." Dean placed his car keys on a desk and walked past a collection of bookshelves and to go deeper into the bunker.

Vera followed as Sam looked after Cas and his first hangover. Dean showed Vera all the different rooms, and whilst most of what he said went straight over her head as she wasn't really listening, her attention focused when he pointed out a room she could stay in. She noticed it was far away from the rest of the males.

"And that's it. Make yourself comfortable. Ruin the kitchen and I'll end you." He rushed the last part, but Vera could tell he meant it. She never took Dean for a cook.

Vera stepped into the room he offered and glanced around. It looked as if she had stepped right out of the 2000's and straight into the 50s. It was a simple room with two beds, some drawers, bed side tables, and a desk. It wasn't bug ridden, rotten or damp like most of the places she had slept in, so she viewed it as most would a 5 star hotel. The door clicked shut from behind her. She spun round and saw Dean with his arms crossed.

"Okay, now that we're properly alone, do you have something you want to tell me?"

Vera then realized she had not only been invited for a tour, but a game of twenty questions as well. After the long journey and a heavy Cas sleeping on her for all of it, she wanted nothing more but to collapse onto the bed for a few hours.

"Not really, no. But I feel like I'm not going to have a choice, am I?"

"No. Me and Sam were there when you died. We saw you flat-line. What we didn't see was you go all Jesus Christ on us and wake up a few days later." His expression and tone remained stern, and Vera eyed the gun still tucked in his trousers.

"I died. We seem to have that understood. And I..." She swallowed a unexpected lump in her throat. A burst of coldness seemed to explode inside her, and her mouth slammed shut. Blinking once, then twice, she met Deans eyes. His hand was on his gun, he didn't look ready to shoot but he certainly looked cautious.

"...I forgot."

"You... forgot? What, you forgot about waking up from the dead?" He wasn't buying her answer for a minute, but Vera looked as if she was fighting some internal battle and not mentally in the room with him.

"I'm not sure. I remember dying as clear as day. Waking up is a little... fuzzy." She stared at the floor and tried so hard to recall a time she thought she could remember. Every time she tried to envision her waking up, she drew blank, as if she was trying to remember her own birth.

"You don't remember anything about _what_ woke you up?" His hand moved from the gun and back to his side. Dean had known Vera for a long time, and he had never seen her so unguarded and worried. He had always known her as the hard ass hunter, but the woman in front of him was different. The body was Vera, but what was inside was what worried him.

"No. I awoke and I had... a purpose." The words came out uncertain.

"A purpose?" He echoed in confusion.

"I knew I had to find someone called Castiel, and protect him. I don't remember anything else, okay?"

"Earlier you said something about a deal? What did you make a deal with Vera?" Dean voice got harsher and more impatient as the conversation progressed.

"I don't know!" She shouted. Dean looked at her hesitantly, and Vera took a deep breath as she tried to steady herself. "I...don't know, Dean." She whispered.

Her tone disarmed him slightly and he relaxed.

"Why are you giving me such a hard time about this anyway? You and Sam die every other day and you don't get the interrogation." She snapped.

"That's different." He replied simply.

"Is it? You've been brought back so many times it must just be another day in the office for you. Is it so hard to believe that maybe, just maybe, I was just given a second chance too? If I was a religious woman I might just say this was a rebirth. A second try." The words rolled out of Vera's mouth as if they were not her own. It felt different, but not wanting to be shot and possibly killed by the man in front of her, she rolled with it.

"No-one just gets out of death for free, Vera. Dying isn't a parking ticket you can just forget about. You either accept it, or do something you'll regret just to delay it." Dean spoke with obvious experience.

"I know. Look, do your tests on me, have me run around a devils trap, do laps in a pool of holy water, whatever. I just don't want you constantly looking over your shoulder like you're scared I'll stab you in the back."

Deans lips set in a grim line, but his shoulders relaxed and he released a deep breath.

"Okay. We'll do the tests. But we are going to get to the bottom of this, Vera, mark my words. Wait here, I'll get the stuff."

He spun on his heels and left without another word. Vera let out a shaky breath and felt a thrumming in her veins she was unfamiliar with. A long shudder ran throughout her body, as if a cold breeze had swept past her. Turning around and sitting on the bed, she decided to undo the bandages wrapped around her head and stomach. They peeled off without a hitch, and whilst the one behind her head only stung a little from exposure to the air, the wound across her stomach... had completely healed. Her mouth hung open in amazement. The only evidence that there was ever a wound there was a long, jagged pink scar.

Dean came back in the room that moment, a arm full of different trinkets he acquired from the trunk of his car. Vera quickly pulled her tank top back down and composed herself. He laid various trinkets out on the desk and he picked up the silver knife first. He held it up for Vera to see, and she extended her fore-arm out to him. He paced over and drawing the knife slowly over the skin, droplets of blood dribbled over the sides of her arm, but the cut did not burn or sizzle. Dean placed the knife back on the table. Vera used one of her bandages to stop the bleeding. Dean next poured a shot of holy water into a small whiskey glass. He gave it Vera and she held it up to him in a mock toast. After drinking it and handing the glass back to him, he placed it on the desk back on the table.

"You know, I don't like doing this to friends." Dean said, as he picked out his next test.

"I don't think you mind doing this, I think you're just scared of what you might find." Vera replied, her tone emotionless.

Her eyes widened when she saw just what Dean had in his hand. It was an angel blade.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Her voice wavered, and Dean did not miss it for a minute.

"Scared of another little cut? Doesn't sound like the Vera I know." His voice was slightly mocking and Vera shuffled in her seat.

"You don't think I have enough already?" Her voice was unsteady again, but Dean just walked closer, a predatory look in his eyes.

Vera held out the opposite arm shakily. Grasping her wrist with a firm grip, he placed the tip of the blade near the crook of the arm. Vera looked away. Just as Dean applied pressure and was about to pierce the skin, a voice piped up from the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Cas barked.

It surprised Dean enough that he removed the blade from her arms and faced him directly.

"He's just running a few tests. You know, make sure I'm not a werewolf or anything. Hunter stuff." Dean was surprised Vera covered for him and he shot a curious glance behind him, but said nothing else.

"With an angel blade?" He questioned.

Cas could be naïve at times, that was given, but he wasn't stupid. He entered the room and titled his head. He got close enough to see Vera's wounds, and her nervous expression.

"She is no angel." He said, turning to face Dean with a stern expression.

"How can you be sure?" Dean still looked dubious, but stood as though he was willing to listen.

"Angels can sense other angels, Dean. I only see a human."

"You didn't know that that redhead was a reaper yesterday." Vera stated. She was potentially shooting herself in the foot, but her morals won out.

"She was a rogue reaper. They're not common, and she... caught me off guard. If you trust me, Dean, you'll take my word for it."

Vera could not believe that Cas, an angel of all things, was vouching for her. Never would she had thought he would stand up to Dean Winchester on her behalf. Cas hadn't won many things in his long existence, but at that moment, he won her respect. Dean stood still for a moment, and glanced at the blade in his hand. He used the hilt to point to the smaller man in front of him.

"You're funeral." There was no ferocity in hit, but his tone was cold. He picked up his things from on the desk and left again. But not before throwing a cautious glare over his shoulder, directed at the woman on the bed.

Vera looked up at her savior and smirked.

"Well, if it isn't my hero." She stood and the smirk grew into a small smile. "Thank you."

"I didn't want to see Dean hurt you." Vera raised an eyebrow. "Anymore, I mean. Because you're already... hurt... and everything." He averted his eyes from hers and chose to stare around the room.

"He's just paranoid. I wouldn't blame him with a track record like he has. But I appreciate you standing up for me." She put her hand on his shoulder, oddly affectionately, before patting it once. "Now how do you feel about more bacon and eggs?" She winked and he dry heaved, obviously not over the worst part of his hangover.

The rest of the evening went by quietly, with various discussions and a catch-up between Vera and Sam. To Vera and Cas, they had a evening of security and relaxation, and to Sam and Dean they had an evening of good talks and company. Dean kept quiet as they all sat in the library, as the two other hunters talked about previous hunts, or as Sam and Vera liked to call them, 'the good old days'.

They laughed and they both drunk beer, though Cas refused to even look at a bottle, let alone consume any. When Dean brought take-out, the angel could not stand the smell and retreated back to his room. The three of them teased him for it, and talked more well into the night. The older Winchester seemed to relax after a while, initially being tense in Vera's presence, but after a few beers and good food it seemed that he had either come around to the of Vera being Vera, or had forgotten all about it completely. The trio also discussed previous hunts they did as a team, when they were much younger and much less broken, and laughed whole-heartedly, something they had not done for what seemed like an age. Vera excused herself after a while, wanting to check up on Cas partly out of routine. She finished her last bottle and tried to remember where Dean had said Cas would sleep.

She had barely walked more than a few steps before she felt something smaller and skinnier crash into her. Vera stumbled a few steps back, but the man or seemingly boy, fell straight on his rear end. Vera stared at him in confusion.

"Whoa! Watch it lady!" He barked. His hair was messy and his voice sounded as if he had just woken up.

"Watch it? You crashed into me." She barked back out of reflex.

He looked up and frowned, not recognizing the taller and more intimidating woman in front of him.

"Who are you? Another friend of Sam and Deans?"

She held out her hand to help him up. Kevin looked at her in suspicion, but accepted it. Vera pulled him up, as if he weighed nothing.

"Yeah. I'm Vera. You must be... Kevin right?"

Laughing awkwardly, Kevin dusted himself off.

"Yep. Prophet of the Lord... and all that." He said nonchalantly, as if it was a mere working title and not a prestigious one.

The word prophet sent a flash of... something through Vera. She could not pinpoint with any word in the English language what it was, but she chose to end the conversation abruptly. The feeling made her nervous and uncomfortable.

"Well nice to meet you, Kevin. Keep prophe-ting or whatever." Vera patted him on the back and moved past him.

"Nice to meet you too!" He shouted back, even though Vera had already turned a corner.

After a couple more wrong corners and curses, Vera finally made it to Cas' room.

She knocked on the door quietly and waited for a response. Hearing a faint voice reply she opened the door and peeked her head round the corner of it. The lights were off and it was almost pitch black. She could make out a lump in the bed, which she presumed was Cas.

"Oh, sorry. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll leave you to sleep." She whispered, even though he was already awake. Going to shut the door again, she stopped when he heard his voice call out again.

"No, it's okay. I can't sleep anyway." He mumbled as he sat up and turned on one of the lamps that lay on the bedside table.

Vera didn't really believe it, but she entered the room fully and shut the door behind her. The drinks has made her head a little fuzzy, but she was still able to function properly.

"I'm not surprised. You seemed to have quiet a restful sleep on me earlier." She folded her arms.

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that."

If Vera did not know better, she would say the angel in front of her was blushing.

"It's alright. You didn't drool, so it wasn't so bad." Vera chuckled.

Cas seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"About earlier... why was Dean about to use the angel blade?"

Vera knew the question was going to crop up again eventually, but she had not prepared a response yet.

"To... make sure I wasn't an angel." She said plainly.

"But what could prompt that? Is Dean that paranoid?" He questioned.

"Yeah... you could say that. It's nothing to worry about. With all these fallen angels and near every one of them looking for either you or the Winchesters, you can't be too safe." She said reassuringly. Cas nodded and seemed to buy her story. Vera felt bad, but found comfort in the fact that she wasn't technically lying to her friend, just leaving a few details out. "You sure you don't need anything?"

She hadn't noticed before, but he was only in his underwear. Vera felt a little strange, but pretended not to care.

"No, I took a shower earlier and I feel better now. Thank you though."

"It's what friends are for Cas." Vera was about to take a leave so she could have a shower and a decent nights sleep too, but his voice stopped her again.

"You consider me a... friend?"

She turned back around and stared at him oddly.

"Of course I do. I wasn't so sure before, but after you stuck your neck out for me today, I finally stopped seeing an angel I was protecting, and saw someone I could rely on. That to me, spells friend." She spoke softly, and she wasn't sure whether it the late night, the beers or who she was speaking to.

Cas thought for a moment again.

"Vera... if you kept a secret, would you tell me?" His voice was low.

She frowned and cast him a strange look, but answered.

"Of course. Would you tell me if you were hiding something?" She questioned back.

He held her stare for a moment and nodded, sure and slow.

"Goodnight Cas. I'll see you in the morning." She turned around and opened the door. She cast one look behind her, and left. Vera scratched the back of her neck as she paced down the hallways. She was worried he was beginning to suspect something.

"Forgive me Cas." She whispered to herself. "But this is my burden to bear, not yours."


	7. Chapter 7

Vera made her way to her own room, reveling in the potential of a hot shower. Making her way through the winding corridors and endless streams of wooden doors, she found her room and entered. It was colder than she remembered. She undid her holsters and pulled off her top and boots, before working on her trousers. Standing in her underwear, she felt stones lighter. Her eye lids felt heavy and she let out a long yawn. She postponed her shower until the morning, finding the bed too inviting to turn down. Vera pulled the covers back and got in, and as soon as her head touched the pillow, she was asleep.

"_Don't... hesitate..." The words were coughed up, and a harsh intake of breath was released after both of them._

"_You won't be forgotten Vera. We'll make sure of that." Sam whispered, his elbows resting on his knees as he sat, his face portraying sorrow. _

_Dean leant against the far wall, his expression cold. _

"_Of... course..." Vera coughed loudly, as if her very lungs were trying to come out of her throat. She took an even larger in take of breath as her hands wrapped around the sheets tightly in pain. "I'll be... forgotten...Sam. I'm just...another... cog... in the... machine..." _

_Sam looked down after she spoke, knowing she was right. The life support machine beeped slowly, and Vera knew any minute it would flat-line, and her final chapter would be finished. _

"_We'll make sure you're cremated. Is there... anything you want to do with the ashes?" Dean spoke up, his voice monotone. _

"_Keep them... snort them... whatever." She tried to chuckle but ended up in another stream of barks and rasps. "As long as I... don't come back..."_

Vera snapped awake, cold and shivering, but very much alive. Her breaths were short, and her hand clung to her chest, as if her very heart would fall out of it. Feeling a little disorientated, she stared around the dark room and tried to recall where she was.

"Right..." She gasped. "Bunker."

Her sleep was surprisingly peaceful if not for the dream. She scratched her head and frowned. She usually found she slept uncomfortably, tossing and turning to the point where she was lucky if she managed to grasp 3 hours sleep on a good day. Another shiver ran through her.

_I slept like the dead. _She joked morbidly.

Wondering what time it was, she groggily climbed out of bed, with hair she was sure was slowly making its way into a afro; a long and black afro.

She walked into the en suite bathroom, and turned on the hot water in the shower. Vera could not remember the last time she had a shower as good as the one she had. She washed her hair and body with the soap provided, and made a mental note to get her hair trimmed again, as it was almost touching the bottom of her shoulder blades when it wasn't tied up. Stepping out, she dried herself and then ran a comb through her hair. Seeing herself in the bathroom mirror, she saw what she thought was the walking image of death. Her eyes were slightly sunken, and the blue iris' had long since lost their sparkle. They even looked faded, to the point were they were no longer a deep sapphire and now a pale blue. Vera always prided herself on a strong jawline and pronounced cheekbones, but her face at that moment was gaunt and tired. She thought about the last time she ate.

Not wanting to depress herself anymore, she left the bathroom and padded into the bedroom in search of clean clothes and underwear. She spotted the drawers and began to dig through them. The top drawer contained plain white t shirts, all of them clearly for men and far too big for her to wear. She cursed and looked through the second drawer, which held plain black slacks. Vera knew she was tall for a woman, but the trousers that were inside the draw she betted they could have been pulled up to her chest. The bottom drawer was full of underwear, once again for men. Water from her damp hair dripped down her back and she shivered. Scolding herself for not thinking about the clothing problem on the way there she slammed the drawer shut and thought about how she was going to acquire clean female clothes without having Dean drive her to a store stark naked.

She picked up the plain white t-shirt and scrunched up her mouth in indecision. What Vera hated more than anything was not having a choice. Tugging it on like a teenager in a strop, she looked down and saw it almost touched the middle of her thighs. The t-shirt drowned her lithe body completely.

"Alright. Not too bad. Roll the sleeves up and tuck this in and I should be okay." She said, not entirely convinced by her own words herself. Fashion was not really her scene, but she could tell when something looked ridiculous.

In her talks with Sam and Dean the night before, Vera recalled them mentioning an old stockpile of women's clothing in the basement. They warned her about something else, but what it was she could not remember.

Tip-toeing over to the door, she opened it and peeked her head out. Looking both ways, she saw no sign of anyone, and deeming it safe, she left the modest safety of her room. Cold air blew in places she didn't know she had, and jogging awkwardly with her hands pulling the t-shirt down, she prayed she didn't bump into anyone again.

After what seemed like an age, but was really only two minutes, she found the metal door that led to the basement. Pushing it open, she found it was dark, damp and cold, and it had the same smell as a old library did. Palming the wall until her hand bumped into a light switch, she flicked it on. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light, and padding down the stairs, she found rows of boxes and documents. One of them, she hoped, held what she was looking for.

She started on the rows that were closest to her, and began to rummage through them when a deep tone vibrated through the walls. It was a cockney accent.

"Well, well, well, now who's this?"

Vera's fingers paused on the box she was holding and her eyes darted around the room. She swallowed deeply and gained her composure. Her hand flew for her gun, which she realized wasn't there.

"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours." Her voice was still rough and dry from not drinking anything yet, and luckily it worked in her favor in making her sound slightly intimidating.

"A woman, eh? I didn't think the Winchesters made a habit of bringing back females they picked up off the streets." His smirk was practically audible through his words.

Vera tried to ignore his jibe and seem nonchalant as she continued to search through the shelves.

"I'm a friend." She said.

"Oh, I bet." He chuckled.

Vera rolled her eyes so hard she almost saw her brain.

"Is there a particular reason you're down here?" She moved on to the next row of shelves and searched more. There were more boxes of important and classified documents, and various vials of different pills and potions.

"I'm being held until I provide certain pieces of... information. Is there a particular reason you're down here, in my humble abode?"

'Searching for clothes and underwear' seemed a little personal for a conversation with a unknown and potentially dangerous stranger.

"I'm looking for something." She said in a exhale of breath.

"The clothes are on the third row on the right. Bottom shelf, my dear."

There was a long and heavy silence.

"How did you know I was looking for clothes?" She said, any hint of friendless in her voice gone.

"The light padding of your feet." He chuckled. "I'd say you were five foot nine, maybe five foot ten. Toned figure, hm, you've been hunting for a while. Tell me, little hunter, what exactly are you here for?"

Vera had never felt as stripped or as bared by a man she had never seen or known before. She ignored his question and lightened her footsteps until they were barely audible to her own ears. Walking over to where he said, she found a large box with clothes practically spilling out of it. She opened it up and saw he was completely right. How he knew she had no idea, she didn't even know where he was.

"Where are you?" She growled.

"Not the smartest of creatures, are you darling?" His voice was close, Vera knew that much. Kneeling on the floor she saw light peek from under the shelves.

_A secret room._

Pushing her new find to the back of her mind for a moment, she focused on dressing herself before she faced whoever else was in the room with her. She pulled out some items from the box, and while they were dusty, they were clean and wearable. She found a bra that was her size, and some pants that looked like they were fit her too. Vera didn't want to know why they were there or who owned them previously, all that she was concerned about was protecting her modesty until she could visit a store. There were a lot of skirts and a few dresses too, something Vera had not worn since she was a little girl. Finding some black trousers that looked like a pre-dated version of skinny jeans, she pulled them out too.

"Found anything interesting in there? A leather bustier perhaps? Maybe some sexy black stockings? I bet Dean will enjoy those." His voice broke the silence and Vera had almost forgotten he was there.

Putting the clothes and underwear on that she found, she felt more properly attired and ready to face the day. A pair of black shoes that were flat with no heel caught her eye too, and whilst to her they were impractical in a fight, she put them on anyway. She felt along the metal bars of the shelves until she could feel some give on one section. Pushing it, it opened like a door and she was greeted with the man who had mocked her from the moment she walked in.

"Hello dear." He greeted, a suave smile adorned his face and a mischievous glint twinkled in his eye.

"Who the hell are you?" Vera barked, taking in the chained and bloodied man in front of her.

"Nice choice of words. I, my mysterious woman, am Crowley. The pleasures mine." The smile never left his face, in fact it only broadened.

Vera eyed the large devils trap on the floor.

"I'm guessing you're a demon too." She said bitterly.

"King of Hell, actually." He said, pride dripping off of his voice.

"Then what's the 'King of Hell' doing chained up in a Men Of Letters' basement?" She retorted.

"All part of the plan." He waved her question off with a chained hand before locking eyes with her. "Now you know what I am, why don't you tell me what you are."

Vera's jaw and fists clenched and it did not go unnoticed.

"I'm Vera." She said, avoiding his accusation.

"Not what I meant." He said a mere breath after she had finished.

She avoided his harsh gaze and looked to her left, seeing many kinds of different torture implements and accessories. His attitude was making her want to use them, but she was stronger than that. Her palms felt hot.

"A touchy subject." He caught her harsh glare and mocked a gasp. "Oh a secret! How adorable."

"How do you-" She began.

"How do I know? King of Hell. There's not a lot you can keep from me." Crowley smirked again.

"How about you're freedom?" Vera turned around and began to leave.

"So no-one knows? Not even Dean?" He said quickly.

She stopped mid-step and turned around.

"No." She grabbed the two shelves that made for a door. "And it'll stay that way."

Her cold, pale eyes never left his as the door shut.

* * *

><p>She left the basement without another word. Using a hair tie around her wrist, she tied up her damp hair so it was out of the way. She noticed it's condition had deteriorated too, it felt brittle and weak, and when it was dry it almost felt wig like. It had been a long time since Vera had ever done anything with her hair besides throw it up in a ponytail.<p>

Making her way back to the library-styled area, she entered in time to see Sam and Dean walk in with paper bags of food. They were joking to each-other about something and seemed happy enough. Deans eyes caught Vera's as he descended the steps and they crinkled up in another smile.

"Where's the leather?" He asked, noting her attire. Dean had never seen Vera without her usual biking gear on. "You look less..."

Vera eyed him strangely.

"Less what?" She said, in a tone that warned him to chose his next words very carefully.

"Less... bulky?" He said as he reached the bottom. Catching her unimpressed stare he quickly changed the conversation. "We bought burrito's."

"For breakfast?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at Sam who just shrugged.

"Hey, burrito's are good anytime of the day, what are you, a dinner lady?" Dean barked defensively.

She rolled her eyes as Sam chuckled to himself, walking over to the lower part that lead to the bedrooms.

Dean placed the bag on a nearby table, already gorging on one, narrowly missing the paper it was wrapped in. He caught Vera's strange look as she sat down.

"What?" He asked innocently, his words muffled slightly by the food still present and now visible in his mouth.

"You haven't changed, have you? From the moment we first met, to this very day you still eat like a pig." She chuckled.

He chewed more and eventually swallowed, washing it down with a drink afterwards.

"Ah, I missed your judgemental attitude Vera." He said sarcastically.

Dean handed her a cup of coffee, and she was surprised he still remembered how she liked it. Black with 2 sugars. She took off the lid and blew on it, before taking a sip. Looking to her left she saw Cas enter the room. He looked brighter and less hung over, that was for sure. She gave him a half smile as he walked in, and he returned it. Dean noticed Vera's odd expression and followed her eye sight.

"You know I've never seen you smile before." He stated, mouth once again muffled by food.

"The times we spent together were easier, but still horrible, Dean. I didn't have a lot to smile about." She defended.

He gave her a knowing look, but said nothing else as he went over to greet Cas himself. Vera stared at the bag of food, and while it smelt enticing, she didn't feel hungry. She picked up on how she rarely felt hungry lately. Picking up a newspaper that was left on the table, she looked at the headline.

"Good morning." Cas greeted, walking over to the food bag and taking one out.

"You sleep well?" She asked, flicking through a newspaper in her hand. Whilst her main goal was to protect Cas wherever he went, her hunter instincts still took over and she found herself scanning the texts for anything suspicious. She noticed three potential cases she would have chased after if not for her current predicament.

"What is it you humans say..." He clicked his fingers. "Oh, I slept like a baby. How about you?"

Vera chuckled, as she turned another page.

"I slept good actually. Normally I toss like a bitch but I slept soundly for once."

Cas stared at her in confusion, titling his head as he usually did when he heard something he didn't understand.

"How do you toss like a female dog?" He asked.

Vera looked up from her newspaper. She thought about a way to explain that it wasn't exactly what she meant, but gave up and mumbled a 'never mind' hoping he would drop the subject. Luckily he did and leant against the table, staring off into space for a minute. Vera had nearly reached the end of her newspaper and coffee before he spoke again.

"I had a strange dream last night." Vera looked up and gave him her attention. "I dreamt I was being chased by this impenetrable darkness... it terrified me. As I ran and ran I eventually neared a dead end. I remember feeling such a mix of panic and fear and when I turned around... you were there."

Vera eyes widened slightly in surprise. She was more surprised that she was included in his dream rather than the actual meaning of it.

"What... happened then?" She wasn't sure that she wanted to know, but she asked anyway.

"As this darkness edged closer, you just turned around. You had such an unreadable expression... but after you turned around this light emanated from you, like a touch from God and... then I woke up."

Vera couldn't find an appropriate response. She wanted to tell him it was just a dream, and that she once had one where she found out her dog could talk and it kept blackmailing her into taking it for walks and such. That they weren't real. But her words died in her mouth and she frowned into her empty coffee cup. Luckily Dean walked over that moment, and Vera looked up, wanting to ask him something, but his expression made her stop. He looked pained. Whatever the question was she soon forgot about it as he opened his mouth.

"Cas... can we... talk for a minute?" He glanced at Vera. "Alone?"

Vera exchanged a look with Cas and she just shrugged, deciding what ever business Dean had to discuss with Cas, it wasn't hers.

"Anything you have to say, Dean, Vera can hear it also. She's a... friend." He said, the word 'friend' coming out strange on his tongue, as if he wasn't used to saying it.

Dean stared at Vera for a moment and she just shrugged again.

"Listen... Cas. You can't stay."

A tense silence followed his words, and even Vera's mouth hung open dumbly.

"W-what?" Cas stuttered.

"Why can't he stay?" Vera asked for him, leaning forward and resting her hands on the table.

"It's complicated-"

"What? What's complicated about letting him stay here?" Vera barked, and both of the men turned to her in shock.

"It's okay, Vera. If I have to go... then I have to go." Cas mumbled, unable to look either Dean or Vera in the eye.

She looked left and saw Sam staring at the trio, stoic and cold. It was unlike Sam, and Vera picked up on it straight away. She didn't understand why Sam would have a part in kicking Cas out, she thought he liked the angel. Her mouth set in a grim line.

"Then I'll go with you." Vera stated sternly.

It was Dean's turn to be dumbfounded. "What?"

"If Cas goes, then I do too." She stated again, in a voice that told the both of them that she wouldn't be swayed.

"I won't be offended if you choose to stay." Cas said gently.

Vera had to give it to him, he was handling it like a man. Even though he was human now, he seemed to have a decent handle on his emotions she observed.

"Wherever you go, I go Cas. When I set my mind to something, I do it. No matter what the cost." She stood up straight and folded her arms. "Let me grab my things and we'll be off."

Vera shot Dean a harsh glare as she turned around to go back to her room. She didn't know Cas was following her until he spoke from behind her.

"You don't have to do this Vera. You can stay."

She glanced behind her and saw him walking a few paces behind, trying desperately to keep up with her large, angry strides.

"Of course I do. I'm here to protect you."

She felt her shoulder being tugged and she spun around.

"What if I don't need protecting?" He practically shouted.

Vera's head recoiled in shock. A fire blazed behind his cold blue eyes, and Vera couldn't understand why.

"Cas. I turned my head for just 2 minutes before and you were snatched up by a reaper. I was nearly killed trying to save you from it while you just stood there and watched. And I here I am, still offering to protect you. I would be lying if I said I had not developed..." She took a shallow breath. "... a bond with you. I won't see you thrown to the wolves." She snapped.

Cas stood silent for a moment as he evaluated Vera's words. His eyes softened and the fire behind them dulled to a small simmer.

"It... frustrates me... not being able to repay you for what you've done." He murmured, avoiding her eyes.

"Well, put it on a tab. I think you're going to owe me a lot more before we're done." She turned back around and continued on her path, with Cas following silently behind her.

Making their way into her room, she picked up her old clothes and boots from off the floor. Examining them, she realised it was probably better to throw them away and buy some new ones. She did however keep the boots, and flicking off her flats, she put them on and tied them up. They felt uncomfortable without socks, but she decided she would have to make do. As always.

She picked up her thigh holsters and her two pistols. Deciding to rid herself of the holsters as they were more Lara Croft than herself, she picked up her weapons. Cas watched her as she did so. She stood up and tucked one of them into the back of her trousers. It was concealed slightly, but easy to grab if need be.

She held the other one out to him.

"Here."

He eyed her questioningly but took the gun anyway.

"Why would I need this?" He asked innocently. "I have an angel blade."

"I know. But the supernatural and powerful aren't the only things we might bump into out in the big wide world." She threw her old clothes in a nearby bin. "Say for instance we get separated and you get attacked by say... a mugger with a gun. You're not going to be able to get close enough to stab him, hence the gun." Vera pointed at it again.

Cas looked at the object which felt alien in his hand.

"I'm not quite sure how to use it." He said.

"Then I'll teach you. For now, come on. Back on the road we go." She mumbled to herself as she walked back out of the room.

They walked side by side down the hallway, Cas still eyeing the weapon strangely.

"I'm not happy that we must leave this place but... I'm glad I'll at least have you by my side." He said, casting her a compassionate look. Vera didn't blush that time, she only smiled.

"And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." She reassured.

* * *

><p><span>AN: Sorry for lack of action and shit tonnes of dialogue. Thank you for the support and reviews anyway! It keeps me going.


	8. Chapter 8

Awkward small talk. Vera could never stand it. Or talking in general. Up until the age of 7 her parents thought she was mute, and when she was 12 if she said more than 5 words at the dinner table they would gasp. Her and Cas were given a ride by Dean, who wore his guilt clear on his features. She rode shotgun whilst Cas rode in the back, and Vera had the pleasure of seeing Deans sidewards glances of pain for their several hour journey. He tried desperately to make small talk, and it made Vera cringe something awful, like it always did. When the daylight started to dim and the moon began to rise, she asked Dean to pull into a motel. Like every other one, it was shabby and barely holding itself together. It was smaller than most, and there were 5 cars parked outside. She eyed a dumpster with a little family of rats and rolled her eyes.

_The thrilling adventures of a hunter._ She thought bitterly.

Turning the engine off with his keys, Dean lent back into his chair with an exhale of breath.

"You sure you two will be alright here?" He asked, not making eye contact with either of them.

"What, are you dropping us off for the first day of school? We'll be fine Dean." Vera snapped as she exited the car. Cas followed her without a word.

Vera was already storming into the reception, but the angel stopped and turned around. He gave one half-hearted wave to the man in the Impala, before following into the main entrance too. Upon entering, Cas was greeted by an irate Vera practically growling.

"Come on pal, this place looks like it hasn't been used in a decade, you can't tell me there are no other rooms!" Vera barked at the poor teenager behind the desk.

"I-i'm sorry okay! Take it or leave it!" The boy whimpered back, throwing the keys over the desk as if they were hot coals. "No charge!"

She stared at the keys for a moment, before picking them up. Giving the boy one last glare, she turned around and left. One thing she always found when it came to talking to people, is that when a 5"11 heavily tattooed woman with one eye comes shouting at you for something,chances are they tend to do that something.

"What was that about?" Cas asked as they made their way outside and to their room.

"Apparently this place is full." Vera said. "Full of fucking bullshit." She cursed.

"Yet... we have a room?" The cold air made him shiver.

Vera glanced at him once before answering. "Yeah."

She put her keys into the lock and twisted. When it clicked open, she leant on it with her shoulder and entered. On the inside, the room wasn't actually that bad. It was visibly outdated, but it was cleaner than most Vera had visited. The most poignant part she found was that the mini-bar was fully stacked with fresh booze. The downside was the room only had one double bed.

Throwing her keys onto the table, she placed her hands on her hips.

"Not too bad actually. I'll buy the lad a pack of cigarettes or something tomorrow."

"Vera..."

She turned around and looked at Cas who was staring directly at the bed.

"What?" She said.

"There's only one bed." He said simply.

Vera rolled her eyes.

"Very observant. Don't panic, you take it. I can live without a night of sleep." She said non-nonchalantly, being too focused on the inventory of the bar. Feeling a change other than beer, she picked up the scotch and poured herself a glass, slightly down-heartened that there wasn't any ice. She sighed and raised the bottle to Cas, who shook his head violently. When he went to open his mouth Vera held up her hand. "No arguments."

Though it was dark outside, it was reasonably early. There was a small living room-type area, and she sat down on the couch in it and flicked on the t-v. It was old, and she was surprised when she switched it on that it was in colour and not black and white. She flicked through, whispering 'crap' under her breath at nearly every program that was on. Eventually settling for an old comedic-type sitcom, she reclined and swirled her scotch in the glass. She had barely noticed Cas had sat down beside her, until he opened her mouth.

"Do we have a plan?" He asked.

"What, I'm in charge now?" She questioned, smile on her lips.

He sighed and gave her a serious look. "You know I have no idea how to operate properly out.. here." Cas said, gesturing with his hands. "Like you said, without you that reaper would have most probably killed me."

Vera gave him a soft look and raised her eyebrow slightly, before turning back to the T.V.

"I suppose..." She thought for a moment, pursing her lips. "If we keep running chances are we're either going to get tired and killed, or get caught and killed. I say, we stay."

"Honestly? That's your plan?" Cas said, evidently irritable.

"Here me out. I saw a job vacancy not so far back when Dean stopped off for gas. Basic store clerk stuff. Don't give me that look let me finish. Not many people know what your vessel looks like. You change your name and act like every one else, chances are an angel could look you in the eye and take you for another human."

Cas considered it for a minute, many questions churning in his brain.

"Obviously you'd probably have to sit an interview, but you're the cute, awkward type. If it's a woman you'll fly through it." She continued.

"You think I'm cute?" He murmured, looking at the woman next to him.

She rolled her eyes again and waved off his question.

"Not the point." She turned in her seat to face him directly. "Let's run through a few test questions."

Cas gave her a dubious look but turned in his seat also. He took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Okay. First things first, where are you from?" She asked, her voice somewhat more sophisticated than her usual tone.

"Heaven." He replied without skipping a beat.

Vera inhaled and closed her eyes, realizing it was going to be a long night.

"No, no, no. You can't say that." She said.

"But that's the honest answer." Cas defended.

"And how many people are going to believe that? You gotta' lie. Pick a random city and state and roll with it. Go." She clicked her fingers and he answered immediately.

"Phoenix, Arizona."

Vera regarded him strangely.

"Why did you pick that?" She asked, somewhat cautious.

"Dean told me it was where you were from. You never mentioned it before and... it was the first thing that I remembered. "

Her eyes and features softened. She shuffled a little before clearing her throat.

"Right well, that's a good one, I suppose. I just pray they don't ask you where specifically. Okay, next question. How old are you?"

"Over 2000 years old. I can't remember specifically. Will they call me up on that?"

Vera knew it was going to be a long night.

She didn't anticipate just how long though.

They went through the many generic interview questions, and Vera had to correct him on nearly every one of them. Cas didn't seem to grasp the idea of lying, and she had to convince him that it was the right thing to do, and that it was self-preservation. After many inhales and exhales to calm herself, they eventually had a good base for Cas' new identity. She prayed that he was good improviser, because even though Vera liked to think she was a patient person, even she had her limits.

"Alright, alright." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "That'll have to do."

"Did I do okay?" He asked, looking a little insecure.

"We'll find out tomorrow." She said, placing the fourth empty scotch glass on the coffee table in front of them.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yep. There's no use in waiting, we need you safe and secure as soon as possible." She got up and decided to make herself a coffee, to clear her head and wake her up a little.

"What will you do if this does work? Will you work in the store too?"

Vera went silent for a moment as the coffee began to brew. She drummed her fingers against the table top, a signature thing she did when she was looking for the right way to say something.

"I'll do what I do best. Hunt. There's a case worth investigating not so far from here. I'll buy a pair of cheap cellphones, then I'll only be a call away if you need anything." She reassured, grabbing a stained mug from a cupboard and filling it up with coffee.

Cas seemed unsettled by Vera's words rather than comforted.

"You won't be coming with me?" He asked, standing up and walking over to her.

Vera turned around with her cup of coffee and leant against the kitchen table. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel bad at the light betrayal that lay behind his blue iris'. Knowing all too well that she had assured him that she would not leave his side, she also knew she couldn't mother him forever.

"You're an angel, Castiel. Don't forget that." Her voice lowered. "You're probably a hundred times smarter and wiser than I am and ever could be." She pushed herself off the counter and stood within arms reach of him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed in a gesture of comfort. "You'll be fine. Like I said, I'll just be a mere phone call away."

He did something Vera didn't expect when Cas put his right hand on hers. Her mouth hung open in surprise. His fingers wrapped around and under hers and the ferocity in his eyes unnerved her.

"I will find some way to repay you for everything you've done, Vera." Passion and sternness intertwined in his words. "I swear it."

"I'm... sure you will." Her mouth was strangely dry.

Cas' grip on her hand lightened, and Vera let her hand slip from his shoulder. She cleared her throat and hid her confused expression behind her coffee mug as she made her way back over to the couch.

"You should... probably get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." Her voice wavered slightly, but the echo in her coffee mug disguised it.

He cleared his throat also and made his way to the bed.

* * *

><p>Vera would deny the shake in her hand if anyone asked.<p>

Cas woke up to the low chatter of the T.V and the chug of an old pick-up truck outside. Looking around he expected to see Vera either sitting on the couch or at the kitchen table, but saw that she was nowhere to be seen. He sat up quickly, panic thrumming in his stomach. Stumbling around the motel room, he checked the bathroom and saw she wasn't there either. He checked the clock that was hung loosely on the wall and it read 11:31. Cas wondered if she had maybe left to go to the store, but he also wondered why she hadn't woke him if she had. Rubbing a pain in his back, his hand bumped into the gun that was still there. It certainly explained why he slept uncomfortably that night. He held it in his hand and examined it. Vera still had not told him how to use it efficiently yet, but he did have an idea anyway. Tucking it back in his trousers he made for the door. Swinging it open he was greeted by a shocked face.

"Woah!" She shouted as Cas almost collided with her. "In a rush?"

Vera nearly dropped the bags in her hand, but managed to catch them before they broke. Cas apologized profusely.

"I woke up and you weren't there and I... feared the worst." He explained, stepping back into the room so Vera could get in.

"I just popped out to get a few things, you panic too much. I came across a great biking shop too, quality gear. Not that fake leather-shit that seems to be so popular." She placed the bags on the bed and rummaged through them. "I also got you a little something for your interview today."

Pulling out a full suit - shoes, tie and all, she handed them over to him. He stared at the them in a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"You got these... for me?"

"No, I got them for the other angel in the room." She said sarcastically. "Just try the damn things on, I had to make an educated guess."

Vera continued rummaging through the bags and pulled out a couple of things that she bought for herself. Cas disappeared into the bathroom to try what she bought on. She also quickly changed, into her usual leathers. The leather trousers were a little loose around the thighs, but tucked nicely into her army-typed boots. The black top and leather jacket fit well enough, and staring into a dirty mirror that hung above the T.V, she begun to feel like herself again. Even though she was thinner and more gaunt than she was pre-death. But more importantly she felt ready to get back into the swing of things. In all her days on earth, she had never thought that she would feel excited to be hunting again.

The bathroom door clicked open and Vera turned around. She smirked as she examined him, seeing that her estimations had been right. Wolf whistling playfully, a blush crept up his neck and into his cheeks.

"Well look at you." She laughed. "If the interviewer is a man and he isn't gay... he soon will be."

"I didn't think the objective of the interview was to change the interviewer's sexuality."

Vera laughed again and patted him on the shoulder.

"Now I booked it up for you. It's in 2 hours so I bought breakfast."

She moved past him and pulled some cartons from the bags. Placing them on the table she poured some more coffee into two mugs. Cas sat down in a seat and opened one of the cartons. It contained some eggs, bacon, sausages and fried bread. The mug clinked against the table as Vera placed it next to him.

"You'll have to forgive me, I panicked and ordered the first thing I saw." She said, sitting opposite him. Cas noted how she didn't get anything for herself.

"It's perfect. You... really went all out on this." He stated.

"Yeah I noticed that too. I don't know, it's like sending my son off to college. My celestial, 2000 year old, awkward son." Vera leant back in her chair and reviewed her words. "Yeah that was weird. Forget I said anything."

Cas chuckled at her ramblings as he ate. They began to go over the things they talked about the night before and Vera was impressed as he changed a few things that sounded better and more believable. And she would be a terrible liar if she denied that he didn't look handsome in a suit. Staring at his suit though, she noticed his tie was off center and not tied correctly. When Cas had finished his food and coffee, Vera leant over unceremoniously and started to undo his tie.

"Wh- what are you doing?" He stuttered, heat rising in his cheeks.

"Your tie's not done properly. It was bugging me." She undid the tie and flicked up his shirt collar.

"Oh.. right." He murmured, watching Vera's hands closely.

Doing his black tie correctly, she tightened it and sat back to review her work.

"Much better." She said, folding her arms. Checking the time she slapped her hand on her knee. "Come on, show time."

Cas followed her as she grabbed her gun and exited the motel room. Walking outside the winters breeze hit them like a stone wall, and whilst Cas shivered, Vera just inhaled deeply. She reviewed the cars outside.

"Say, Cas, which car is your favorite? Out of these?" She pointed to the 4 remaining cars on the parking lot and he stared. Having no idea what any of the differences were apart from visual, he shrugged and pointed to a black Land Rover. Vera followed his pointing finger and nodded. "Nice choice." She mumbled.

She walked over to the car and examined it closely, even giving one of the tires a kick as if it was for sale. Walking around it once, then twice, she hummed to herself as she stood next to the drivers side. Lifting her elbow up and holding on to her wrist, she smashed in the window with one jab. Cas stood a foot or two away, mouth agape.

"What are you doing?" He gasped as Vera leant into the car and undid the locks.

"Playing real-life Grand Theft Auto, come on, hop in before the owner hears." She mumbled, fiddling with the wires underneath the steering wheel. She was surprised there were no alarms, and wondered what a high end car like the one she was currently hot-wiring was doing in the parking lot of a grubby, run-down motel.

Cas hesitantly climbed into to the passenger seat, shutting the door gently. After a couple of failed sparks and one or two revs of the engine, the car started up and Vera smiled to herself. The car filled with silence as they drove peacefully to the Gas'N'Sip, with Cas staring absent-mindedly staring out the window. The drive was only 5 minutes, and wouldn't be that long a walk either. Vera appreciated the leather seats and smooth handling, even looking behind her when they hit a red light to gauge whether or not she could fit some decent hunting gear in the boot. She was definitely still a biker-girl in her heart, but she could still admire a fine vehicle when she saw one. Rounding a few more corners, they eventually pulled up to the gas stop. Checking the meter on the dashboard, Vera noticed that she was low on gas also. Pulling next to gas pump, she stepped out and began to fill up the tank.

"Go on inside, Cas, I'll wait out here." She said as the tank began to fill up. Cas nodded and walked into the store. Vera watched as he talked to the blonde woman behind the counter. She smiled and they shook hands before they both disappeared into the back. The rebellious teenager in her whispered for her to drive off and get a full tank of gas for free, but Vera doubted it would have went down well with Cas' new boss. She leant against the car and folded her arms as she waited. About 30 minutes passed before Cas and the woman stepped back out. The ear-to-ear grin across Cas' face was contagious, and Vera found herself copying it. Vera raised an eyebrow, her facial features asking how it went. Cas was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"I start tomorrow." He said, his smile putting a softer tone in his words than his usual gruff sound.

Vera laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Who knew I'd be this happy for someone who just got a job at a gas stop! Ha!" Their laughter died down as her face returned serious, and a little glum, as if a dark rain cloud just scrolled across her features. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't secretly hoping that you didn't get the job so that we could spend more time together. But, hey, you're a proper working man now! Or angel, I suppose."

He seemed solemn, but understood her words. Vera told Cas she was just going to pay for the gas and he climbed in the car. Entering the store with credit card in hand, she walked up to the cashier. Smiling at the woman behind it, she told her how much gas she had purchased and began to pay.

"That's quite a catch if you don't mind me saying ma'am. He seemed very pleasant." She noted, as she waited for the receipt to be printed.

"A catch- oh no. We're not together, we're... just friends." Vera replied as she accepted the piece of paper and shoved it into her back pocket.

The lady looked as if she had just heard a valuable piece of information and had stored it for later as she nodded. Vera gave a half-hearted smile before turning back around.

Vera climbed back into the car and they both drove back to the motel. Vera parked the car a little further down the block in case the owner was still around. Walking back into their room Vera collected a few things and shoved them into a duffel bag she bought earlier that day. Cas looked at her questioningly, and she caught his look. Avoiding his eye contact for a moment she stood back up and threw her bag over her shoulder.

"I followed up a few leads on a case this morning, and felt it would be better if I started on it straight away." She picked up one of the cheap cell-phones she bought and handed it to him. He accepted it gingerly, already knowing what Vera was trying to say. "So this is the point where I leave. I paid for the motel for a couple of weeks, it should cover it until you can start paying yourself. And like I said, I'll just be a phone call away should you need anything. I put Sam and Deans number in it too, in case you don't hear from me."

'In case you don't hear from me' struck a pain in Cas' heart, knowing what she really meant. They stood a foot away from each other as the sound of cars rumbled outside. Vera held her hand out.

"It's been a pleasure looking after you Cas." She chuckled. Cas shook her hand and tried his best to smile.

"It's been a pleasure being looked after by you, Vera." He replied awkwardly.

She turned around without another word and made for the door. Opening it and exiting, she waved one last time before shutting the door. She walked to where she left the car and threw the bag into the boot. Sitting in the drivers seat, her hands wrapped around the driving wheel and she exhaled. To Vera, she did what she had do. She assured herself that he didn't need to be mothered, and he certainly didn't need a guardian angel now he'd have a shitty day-to-day job, so leaving him to his own devices for the time being was the best course of action. Leaning back in the seat, she rubbed her temples. The man she first met used to infuriate her, his simple mannerisms yet complex mind used to drive her up the wall. She had never volunteered to look after him. It sort of... fell into her lap. But once she had got to know him, shed blood on his behalf and defended him... she found it was hard walking away. And she knew, it wouldn't be permanent.


	9. Chapter 9

The wooden panels of the barns snapped in half as a body went crashing through it. The sound echoed and shattered the nights silence. Dogs barked back from far off. Splinters and dust cascaded through the air and the smell of damp earth and old hay clung to the cold winter night's breeze. The crackling and rumble of distant lightning sounded in the distance.

Vera picked herself up from the mass of wood, dirt, dust and hay and brushed herself off whilst cursing violently. Her right shoulder hung limp and she seethed through her teeth, trying to will some life back into it. Rolling it once, and then twice, it clicked, but only sent another burst of burning pain up and down her arm. She bared her teeth and groaned again at the man who paced towards her. His fists cracked as they clenched.

"Killing my brother? Now that I can forgive." He pointed at her angrily. "He was an ass, a problem I had to deal with anyway. But my wife?" He stopped and snarled. "I'll break every bone in your body, hunter!" He growled, jumping the remaining space in between them.

Vera had barely any time to manoeuvre, and found herself knocked off her feet once again. Thumping to the ground, there was a split second before the man was atop her and snarling his fangs. His claws dug deep into the flesh of her arm as she tried to keep his mouth from around her neck. Hot blood dribbled down her arms and onto her chest. Managing to flip them over, nothing could stop the barrage of punches that landed onto the man's face. One after another, even long after the beast had died under her she continued until her arms cramped and her chest burned. Panting heavily, a bead of sweat dripped down her temple and along her jaw. Examining her arm, she had forgotten how sharp werewolf claws were in her break from the supernatural. Stumbling to her feet ungracefully, she walked into the barn and picked up her machete. It had chipped and blunted slightly after a few misses and collisions with a stone wall, but it was still very much sharp and capable of doing damage. Returning to the body, she stood over the body so the head was just in front of her feet. Making a few practice swings like she was playing golf, she swung the knife up high and removed the head from its shoulders with one clean movement.

"I forgot... how much... I hated... werewolves." She mumbled, placing the knife through her belt so it hung comfortably at her hip.

Turning around, she headed back to the where she had parked her car, which much to Vera's dismay, was at the other side of the farm. Adding to her mood of general disappointment and regret, the heavens opened up and rain beat down mercilessly onto the now-sodden hunter. Trudging through ankle deep mud, her thighs began to chafe and her mood began to worsen. Her leather attire became tight and heavy as it absorbed the rain. As much as Vera liked to think she enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, she had also forgotten how painful and messy it was. When she was a little girl she used to dream of adventures and excitement, now she couldn't believe she would kill for a weekends rest and relaxation. Throwing open the door of the car, she climbed in sat in the front seat. The machete began to dig into the flesh of her hip, so she threw it on the passenger seat. Shivering violently for a few moments, she turned on the engine and the heating and waited as her bones and muscles began to thaw out. As her fingers and bruised knuckles warmed, and when she could flex them without them hurting, she pushed on the gas pedal and pulled out of the farm, hopefully never to return. Setting course for an old apartment that a deceased friend had left, she cruised along the silent streets in lost reveries. Smiling to herself about times long ago, when going to sleep and worrying about whether she was going to wake up weren't an issue, her thoughts kept flicking back to Cas and his new lifestyle. It had been a couple of weeks since she had last spoke to him, and that was when she had first left. She made a mental note to check up on him in the coming days. Being so lost in thought, Vera just about noticed a roadblock just in time. Flashing sirens on top of two police cars made her blink furiously as they blared. Pulling to a stop, she was approached by a man in uniform. Vera sighed and lowered the window, thinking she must look well covered in blood and bruises. Luckily, it was a game she had played before.

"Evening officer." Vera greeted, trying to seem as normal as a woman covered in dirt and blood could be. As the man neared the window, she noticed the stiff walk and the strange look in his eye, as if he was seeing everything for the first time.

"Do you mind stepping out of the vehicle ma'am?" The officer asked, or more demanded. He kept looking left and right, as if they were doing a drug deal rather than a shakedown.

Alarm bells went off in Vera's mind, and her heart flared up again expecting another fight. She did her best to pull off a smile and she opened the door. Stepping out slowly, she tried to hide the tired stumble in her steps as she straightened her posture and shut the door behind her. She held her arms out in a gesture of submission. Squinting her eyes as the officer pointed his flash light over her face and body, he opened his mouth.

"Are you the one they call Vera?" He asked, his free hand reaching behind him for something.

Vera eyed him for a moment, seeing the unsteady look in his eye, and it was only when she saw the twinkle of something elongated and shiny in his hand did she realise he really wasn't a cop at all.

"Listen pal, you don't have to do this. Turn your winged ass back around and I'll pretend I never saw you." She threatened, even though she was unarmed, weakened and in no position to hurt anything other than herself.

"Where is he, human?" He snarled.

"Who?" Vera feigned ignorance, shrugging her shoulder exaggeratedly.

"Castiel!" He barked, holding the angel blade up threateningly.

"Never heard of him." By this time Vera was hardly trying to lie convincingly, but she was be damned if she ever sold a friend out.

The angel leapt at her, and Vera managed to miss the swing by mere inches as it swung past her and made a scratch in the car. She cursed and delivered a sharp kick to his stomach, pulling a muscle in her leg and making him keel over as the wind was knocked from him. Throwing an uppercut into the mix, the angel was sent onto his back like a sack of meat. She tore the knife from his grip and knelt over him, holding the blade close to his jugular.

"You're a little knew to this aren't you? Not been one earth long?" Vera mocked, gripping onto his short hair tightly.

"I have nothing to say to you." He growled as he squirmed under her grip.

Vera knew she should of just killed him without another word, and she realized that as he threw her off him, sending her rolling across the road. The blade rolled out of her hand and under the police vehicle. Managing to scramble up in time to dodge another punch, she parried another blow. Vera knew her instincts would take over sometimes, especially in a fight, but when her hand flew to his forehead and stayed there, she felt as if she had lost control.

She felt a strange and very unfamiliar power course through her veins and muscles, expanding outwards from her very being. A light shone from her hands and fingertips, and her whole body tensed from her toes to her head. Like a burst of energy she had not felt before, an explosion of white light filled the space around them, yet Vera did not break eye contact with the man in front of her. Over the strange sense of euphoria, she could hear the man screams piercing the air and a odd high pitched whistle, that she soon realized was coming from her. As soon as it had started though, it was over. The unknown angel sunk to the floor when Vera withdrew her hand hesitantly. She stared at it as if it was not her own and never before had she felt fear and worry for herself.

Walking over to the police car, she dipped and retrieved the blade from under it. Her legs threatened to buckle as she felt weak and shaky. Stumbling back over to her car, she let out another shallow breath.

"Thanks, I guess." She said to herself. Or more to what was within her.

* * *

><p>The drive back took her through the night. Her thoughts raced across her mind and her driving became erratic and uncontrolled. She skipped many red lights and pushed the cars speed to its limits. Her grip on the steering wheel slipped a few times as her heart never ceased to beat violently. When she pulled up to the run-down apartment block, the sun had was already high in the sky. Vera switched off the engine and sat back in her seat. As much as she wanted to lie down and sleep, she felt she didn't need it. Her mind was tired and confused yet her body was ready to go, as if she could run a marathon. Luckily Vera didn't have too much time to dwell on what went only a few hours ago before her phone started to vibrate in her glove box. She reached over and answered it.<p>

"Hey, Vera? It's Dean. We need to talk." A voice spoke up immediately.

Vera sighed.

"If you give me the whole 'it's not you, it's me' talk, we're going to have a problem." She groaned.

"It's about Cas." He said quickly.

Vera leant forward in her seat and her arms began to tingle. Rubbing her hands over her face, she braced herself for the worse and felt her stomach tighten in anticipation.

"What?" She whispered.

"Where is he?" Dean said, and Vera's breath got stuck in her throat.

"Has he been kidnapped?" She asked, reaching for her keys to start up the engine.

"What? No! I just got off the phone with him. He said he had a case I might want to check into but that was about it. Any idea where our angel has flown to?" He explained.

"He's,uh, working... I guess. At a Gas'N'Sip." She mumbled, still stuck in a haze of confusion.

"Gas'N'Sip? Are you serious?" Dean barked, now even more confused than Vera was.

"It's a... I'll explain later. What's this about a case?"

"Cas was a bit light on the details but I'm just heading there now to check it out. Feel like tagging along? It'd be like old times." Vera could hear the smile in his words.

"Yeah, apart from I had two eyes and less tattoos. I just finished a case, Dean. Where's Sam anyway?"

"He's uh... busy." Dean mumbled, not convincing Vera for a minute. Her face displayed her suspicion clearly, but she said nothing.

"I'll come with you if your meeting Cas, I've been meaning to check up on him for days, but I need a little time to recuperate before I go hunting again." She said.

"Alright, where's he at?"

Vera groaned and got out of her car. The mud and blood on her clothes had started to dry and crack, and she though it would be best to clean and change herself before going to see the two men.

"Just follow the trace you have on my phone, Dean." She sighed. "Perhaps we can work on that trust I hear everyone going on about."

Vera hung up and pocketed her phone as her eyes set on the apartment building again.

* * *

><p>Being in the next town up, the trip only took another another hour or so to where Cas was situated. Vera was still sick of driving by the time she pulled up to gas stop though. The journey was easier after she had cleaned and scrubbed the blood and grime from herself and changed her clothes. Waiting outside for a moment, she leaned against the car and watched the angel in the store. He seemed happy enough, serving customers with a smile. He also seemed oddly in place, if Vera hadn't known who he was she would have never guessed he was a soldier of the Lord. She smiled as she waited another 5 minutes before Dean pulled up next to her. He pocketed his keys as he walked to where she was standing.<p>

"Big wheels, compensating for something?" He smirked and leant against the car with her.

"I could say the same for your ego, couldn't I?" Vera retorted, not taking her eyes off of the man in the shop.

Dean followed her line of sight to Cas and smiled.

"He certainly looks... happy." Dean observed.

Vera nodded as she thought the same thing.

"So, are we going to ruin his day?" She asked, giving the man next to her a knowing look.

"Turns out, whatever we're dealing with, we're gonna' need Cas' help anyway." He went on to explain the details he had found at the crime scene to Vera, who nodded her head solemnly, barely acknowledging his presence as she racked her brain for anything she might know. When she came up blank, she shrugged and agreed that maybe they would need the angels help.

"You go on inside, I'll wait out here." She said, making no eye contact.

"What? Why?" Dean asked.

Vera nodded her head towards the other woman inside the shop.

"She's seen me around before. I don't want to make things too suspicious." She explained.

Dean took her poor excuse and entered the store anyway. Vera watched their exchange from afar, smiling to herself as she noted how comfortably he was handling everything.

"Huh. Maybe he really doesn't need my help any more." She whispered to herself, earning a strange look from a couple who walked by.

Another minute or so went by before the woman, whose name Vera had still yet to learn, appeared again. Vera was about to shift her vision before she noticed the woman's sweet smile which was directed at Cas. The tattooed woman didn't know a lot about attraction or love, but she could tell when a woman was at least interested. She let out a puff of air in disbelief.

_Well I'll be damned Cas. You might just pull there. _Vera thought, smirking to herself.

She would be lying to herself if she didn't consider herself just the tiniest bit jealous at Castiel's smile back. Vera was a hunter and Cas was an angel. She knew things would never work out, even if every fibre in her being wanted it to. It wasn't even that, she doubted she could ever settle down either after spending so long on the road. If Cas had a chance with a normal woman with a normal dead end job and a picturesque family, Vera thought he should go for it. That still did not conceal the envy behind her eyes.

Dean came out a moment or two later as Cas disappeared into the back. Vera looked at him questioningly.

"He's, uh, cleaning the toilet." He answered, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Vera shook her head and laughed as they waited for Cas to finish his duties.

"There's been another death. Outside a school not so far from here. After Cas is finished doing his noble duty, we'll head there and check it out." Dean explained. Vera only nodded.

As the conversation came to a abrupt halt, the man tried to find a way to pick it back up again.

"You know, our angels got a date." He said, looking like an impressed father.

"I told him, keep doing that cute, socially awkward thing and he'll have the ladies swooning after him in no time." Vera sighed, sounding bored and uninterested. Dean noticed it but chuckled anyway.

The angel came out 10 minutes later. After a little bit of bickering between Dean and Vera, they agreed to ride in Deans car to their next location. He explained on the way what the officer had told them and small flash of panic shone in Cas' eyes, though he said nothing. Arriving at the area Dean had described, they walked past the police barrier without trouble when he flashed his badge. Vera thought it a little odd that they would let a supposed agent of the F.B.I, a store clerk and what looked like a Hells Angel's reject into a crime scene, though she went along with it anyway. As they neared the bus, the pungent smell of copper and flesh invaded their nostrils immediately. Vera rarely got sick, which was not unusual after everything she had seen and experienced, but the odour was that strong that even her stomach felt a little weak. She observed the massive splash of what looked like spilt paint across the bus and floor in disbelief. The supernatural never failed to surprise her.

As Dean walked over to interview a witness with another police officer, Vera walked up to Cas. She was about to ask him how he had been and how he had been coping, but the look of sheer horror upon his already rugged features made her stop. Her words choked in her throat and she tried to look at whatever he was seeing.

"What's going on Cas, speak to me." She whispered to him. He just swallowed heavily and his fear of whatever was going on rubbed off on Vera and she inhaled shallowly.

As Cas stood still as a marble statue for a minute or so, Vera began to worry and placed her hand upon his shoulder. With gentle pressure, she lead him back towards the car and assured him that whatever was happening, Dean and herself would deal with it. Cas just gave her a grim look of disbelief as the other hunter walked over to the pair. Seeing the pair's strange looks, he asked Vera what was wrong. She shrugged and Cas answered.

"I've seen this before." He said in a grave tone.

"What? Where?" Dean and Vera said simultaneously.

"In heaven."

The two hunters exchanged a look that said that they were in some deep shit no matter what came out of Cas' mouth next.

"What, are you saying an angel did this?" Dean said in surprise.

"It's no ordinary angel." He looked to Vera and then to Dean. "Guys, this is bad. This is very bad." He finished.

Vera caught some of the odd looks they were getting, and suggested that they continue their chat in the car. Even though most of what was happening was still new to her, she still forgot on occasion that her regular Tuesday was someone else's day of reckoning. As they got in the car, Cas started to explain the specific type of angel that they were dealing with. Just like Dean, Vera too had never heard of what Cas was describing. He explained that they were attracted to pain, and Vera hoped that it wasn't so much physical pain, because after taking down a pack of werewolves and a run in with another angel, Vera was feeling the aftermath.

"So everybody's fair game?" He clarified. Cas nodded sadly and Vera leaned forward. She put her hands on the back of Deans chair. He looked to Vera and then to Cas. "Alright, then we've got to stop him."

"_You_... have to stop him." Cas corrected. Vera frowned at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You're scared." Dean stated. Vera looked at them both in a mixture of mild annoyance and shock.

"It's different now. Everything feels different." He sighed, looking out the window in shame.

Vera's look changed to pity, but she said nothing to correct him either. If this angel was as dangerous as Cas had described, she thought it better than to bring him, when he had no powers and no means of defending himself.

"You're right." Dean said. "Me and Vera will track this guy and put him down."

Cas looked at Vera who nodded her reassurance.

"Okay." He said, still looking unsure, even though he knew there was nothing he could do.

"You stay safe, Cas." Vera added.

"Go on that date, alright, go live a normal life." Dean said, something that neither himself or Vera had ever had a shot at.

Cas thought for another moment.

"Okay." He repeated.

There was a small awkward silence before Dean started up the Impala's engine again. He looked at Cas when he didn't move.

"Well?"

"I need a ride."

Vera huffed out a breath in amusement as Dean just smiled, before they set off once again.

* * *

><p>A mile or so down the road from where Cas was heading, Vera asked Dean to pull to a stop outside of another motel. Both Cas and the other hunter gave her a look of confusion.<p>

"I know a, um, friend... that might have something we can use to track this angel down." She explained, fidgeting a little.

"Great, well, let me just drop Cas off and we can go see together." Dean said.

"That won't be necessary, Dean, I'll handle this and give you a call if I find anything." She patted Dean on the shoulder who still seemed unsure. Turning to Cas, she smiled. "Have fun on this date. And remember," She pointed to her eyes. "Look up here. Any lower and expect to wear her drink, okay?" Cas smiled back and nodded.

Vera tried to exit the car as calmly as she could, but just ended up appearing stiff and awkward. She waited on the side-walk as the car pulled away. She waved them off, and when the car was fully out of view she turned around and bought a room there. Entering it, she walked straight into the bathroom and faced the mirror. Her hands held on tightly to the cheap basin below it. Taking a deep breath and centering herself, she stared into her reflection intensely.

"Okay, I'm sure you heard the news, what am I dealing with and can you track it down?" She said to the reflection.

After a moment of silence and the sound of birds tweeting outside, a cold rush of wind blew past. Without Vera moving, and still hunched over the basin, her reflection stood up straight, and offered her a serious look. There was a dark presence that loomed beneath the eye, and it held itself with much more dignity and pride than Vera ever really did. The person in the mirror still looked like Vera, but she definitely knew better. Her face looked more solemn and grim, with a hint of distaste upon the features.

"You humans are stupendously hopeless when it comes to operating on you're own. You do know this, right?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I'm hopeless. But I need your help anyway. Do you, or do you not know where to find this angel?" Vera asked.

"Perhaps. I do not see, however, how this affects us. If this Rit Zien is still continuing his holy duty upon this earth, let him do so. I will have no quarrel with him." The vision replied, seemingly very uninterested. The main feature that exposed the reflection for what it really was, was the strong British accent. It sounded intelligent and sophisticated, more so than the real Vera could ever feign. It was strange to her, hearing a different accent coming out of her mouth.

"But he's targeting us humans, not angels!" She barked. Realizing how loud she was being, she swallowed and lowered her voice. "Come on."

"I have already assisted you yesterday." It crossed it's arms. The back and forth arguing reminded her of times she used to try and persuade her mother to let her out past curfew.

"Not fair. You know I had that situation controlled." Vera defended. The angel she faced at the road block might have been a tough opponent, but it was nothing she could not handle.

"And not forgetting the many other times over this past month when you nearly let slip our secret."

"I wasn't going to tell Dean alright. Just don't do that again, I don't like someone else's words coming out of my mouth."

"It does not matter. My only concern is keeping my vessel and Castiel alive." The reflection crossed its arms. Its intense stare made Vera uncomfortable, and through the blue iris, she could sense the old and powerful being behind it.

"Ugh, don't call me that." Vera grimaced. "What if this thing goes after Castiel, hm? What do we do then? Let him continue his 'duty'?"

The reflections image went from uninterested to seriously pissed off in a mere flash. Vera thought it was not possible, but the frown upon its face seemed to deepen even more. After a few moments, where Vera was sure it was going to jump out of the mirror and tear out her throat, the vision seemed to relax and come around to her point. Closing it's eyes and taking a deep breath, Vera imagined it must be tracking the nearest Rit Zien in the general vicinity. It opened its eyes eventually.

"It seems you were right. The angel you seek is currently tracking Castiel down, following him even. We do not have a lot of time."

"Shit." Vera cursed. Standing up straight, her mind raced with thoughts on how to kill the angel, or even get close enough to do so. The biggest problem though, she soon thought, was how to get there in time.

The vision sighed dramatically.

"If you run, you might just be able to catch up in time." It advised.

"Run a few miles, catch this angel if it hasn't killed Cas already and what, kill it with my bare hands?" Vera asked, very much confused and sure that the reflection was overestimating her abilities.

"Hopeless and useless. You never fail to amaze me." It sighed, pressing its hand to it's forehead. "I can take you there. What you do once you are there however, is up to you."

"I never found you so helpful and unhelpful at the same time before." Vera spat, growing fidgety and impatient as the conversation went on. "So tear off his head and bury it six feet under?"

The other Vera leant forward and placed it's hand on the mirror.

"Get creative." It said.

The real Vera copied the movement and placed the hand onto the mirror also. As soon as their palms touched, she felt the same weird sense of euphoria and power as when she killed the police officer. Her eyes closed automatically, and stayed like that for a few seconds. Sensing a drop in the temperature, she opened her eyes. The hand was no longer resting upon the bathroom mirror, and instead a door. She let her hand drop with surprise and wondered whether her inside-visitor had dropped her off at the right place. It wasn't until she heard a baby crying inside, and the sound of shuffling that Vera thought that perhaps she was in the right place. She reached for the door handle, but stopped when her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Pressing the answer button, she lowered her voice as much as she could without being suspicious to the recipient on the other end.

"What?"

"It's Dean. This angel bastard we're looking for? Its with Castiel now!"

"I'll see you there." She replied, hanging up without another word. Hoping Dean would take her short replies as determination, she wrapped her hands back around the door handle and pushed.

The door was thankfully unlocked - she would have hated to have to kick someone's door in and explain why if it wasn't Castiel and the Rit Zien. Opening the door quietly and slowly, she lightened her footsteps as much as she could and entered. There was no sign of forced entry or any commotion to begin with, and only the babies' loud cries could be heard. That was until she heard a voice, which she definitely did not recognize.

"-burying your head in the sand, right when your kind needs you the most!" A voice growled. It was followed by a loud grunt of pain.

Vera quickened her steps and eventually was met with a kitchen as she stood in the doorway. Her eyes immediately saw the rose, and the light trickles of blood around it. Hearing a voice again, she pressed her back up against the walls as best as she could and shimmied herself until the voice was much louder.

"Sh, it'll all be over soon. I'll take the pain away." The voice spoke again, much softer this time.

"I want. To live." Another voice growled. Vera's eyes widened as she definitely recognized the deep roughness of Castiel's voice. She wanted to peak her head around the corner and get a grasp of the situation, but didn't want to chance being exposed when she was very much defenseless.

"As what, Castiel? As an angel? Or a man."

As soon as his sentence had ended a loud crash reverberated around the room, followed by another bang which sounded as if a body had been thrown against a wall.

"You say you want to live, but you can't see what I see. By choosing a human life, you've already given up. You...chose...death."

Vera wasted no more time, and stepped out from behind the wall.

"And by that saying that, so have you." She growled, her fists clenched. Castiel's head spun around upon hearing Vera's voice. His eyes twinkled with hope.

The tall blonde man's eyes widened in surprise, and just as he raised his hand, he let it hang there.

"Now you... are something else." He said. His attention turned from Cas to Vera, and she couldn't decide whether it was good thing, or bad. Being turned to finger paint really wasn't on her agenda that day.

"You can say that again." She barked back. Taking a step forward, she felt the force surge through his fingertips. Vera felt the power behind him as he tried to send her flying, just as he had done to Dean. The force hit her like a stone wall, but she only moved a step back, much to her own surprise. Her open jacket flapped and she squinted her eyes against the wind. She heard plates and cups shatter behind her as they hit the ground. When it died down, she saw the look of sheer astonishment upon his features.

"What are you?!" He shouted.

Thankfully, she didn't get time to reply, because Dean slid the angel blade across the floor to Castiel. He caught it and in one swift movement, impaled it into the Rit Zien. Light blasted from his eyes, nose and mouth as the angel inside the vessel was vanquished. The body slumped to the floor. A tense quietness followed, as everyone tried to get their bearings on what just happened. Vera could hardly make sense of it herself. The sheer energy that was directed at her should of sent her packing out of the nearest window, but something kept her grounded, as if anchors were chained to her ankles. She took a nervous breath. 'I can explain' hardly seemed appropriate.

"Not exactly the date I imagined, Cas." Vera said nervously as she walked over to him. Helping him up by hooking her hand under his shoulder, he said nothing as he gave her the same look of fear and confusion as the other angel did. She heard a scuffle as Dean stumbled to his feet too, dusting himself off.

"What the hell was that?" Dean barked, waving a hand to where Vera was previously standing.

"I don't know." Vera shrugged. "He... must have been running out of juice or something."

"That's not possible." Cas said, his face holding clear suspicion.

The two men held the same expression as they stared at Vera. Not liking the feeling of being scrutinized, she frowned back.

"Come on, if I had powers don't you think I'd use them a little more often?" She justified. "I'd fix my eye for starters, fed up of having a blind spot."

Dean and Cas exchanged a look, but the other hunter just shrugged tiredly, seemingly too exhausted to bother arguing.

"We should, uh, do something about the body." He said. "Vera get the legs."

Being glad that it was the end of the conversation, she did as he said and they dragged the body outside and stuffed it into the boot of Dean's Impala. Cas stayed inside to tidy up some of the broken cutlery and blood. Vera found it odd, as a hunter she never usually cleaned up her messes because she was always far gone by the time anyone found the bodies. She imagined it would be difficult for Cas to explain to his manager why there was a dead body in the nursery.

"You going to burn it?" She asked.

"Yep." Dean replied. "Somewhere out of sight." He walked back into the house and Vera leant against the car. She rubbed her temples and prepared herself for the brewing shit storm of questions that would explode when she was alone with Cas. It was the one time she prayed that her friend on the inside would help her out, because while she did it often, Vera considered herself hopeless at lying believably.

Dean came back out not so long after and started dialing a number into his phone. They said nothing to each other as another car pulled up next to them. Vera frowned and was about to brace herself for another fight, but upon recognizing the woman in the car she relaxed, and slunk back against the car. The woman seemed to remember Vera and walked up to her.

"Oh, uh, hey! You're Steve's friend right?" She said.

"Um, yeah. Yeah that's me." Vera racked her brain for anything she could use to explain what she was doing there. "I, uh, got a call from him, said he needed some... assistance." Vera said, trying hard to smile but she was pretty sure she just looked weird.

"What, with the babysitting?" The woman looked confused.

Vera gave her an odd look for a moment before she the pieces started to fit together. She thought it was odd that the other woman wasn't there for Cas' own date.

"Yep. Woman's touch and... all that." Vera failed to mention that she hated kids and couldn't stand their crying. "Steve's inside." She gestured with her hand.

The woman gave her thanks and walked on inside.

After some more waiting and idle conversation between the two hunters, Castiel eventually came back out and walked up to the car. Dean and Vera both did a terrible job of hiding the pity on their faces.

"Where to, Cas?" Dean asked.

Vera could see the exhaustion and the emotionally drained look upon his face. She just opened up the car door and lifted up the front seat and gestured for him to get in. He did so and slumped in the seat. The two hunters exchanged a look.

"Take us back to the Gas'N'Sip, we should be back there by morning and I can pick up my car again."

Dean nodded and they both got in.

* * *

><p>The journey back to the Gas'N'Sip was tiring, and a clear sign that Cas had fallen asleep was the snoring coming from the back seat. Vera chuckled lightly, as she looked out the window at the blurring scenery.<p>

"You know, back at that house, were you there before me?" Dean asked, after a large silence.

"By a minute or so." She answered.

"How? I thought your car was back at the gas stop?"

Vera got a little hot around the collar, but luckily she had time to prepare an answer.

"It is. You know there are such thing as cabs, right?" She said.

Dean didn't say anything and only nodded.

"How about that lead you were talking about?" He asked again.

"Are we going to do this every time we meet, Dean?" Vera snapped. "You question everything I do and I answer?"

Dean seemed a little caught off guard by her sudden aggression. He gave her a look of surprise and stumbled over his words. Vera calmed herself with a deep breath and tried to explain her position.

"I get it. I know my return is suspicious, and I know the things I do can appear a little... peculiar. But I'm me, Dean. Nothing more, nothing less."

The elder Winchester's face showed remorse for a moment, before he returned his full attention to the road. The rest of their journey was quiet and uneventful. Vera thanked the Heavens.

* * *

><p>They pulled up at the gas stop the next morning. Vera said thanks and goodbye to Dean before getting out immediately and stretching her legs. The Impala was a beautiful vehicle to her, but it was far too cramped for her own personal liking. Walking over to her own car, she looked back and saw Dean reaching behind him to wake Cas up. She gave her Land Rover a quick once over and it was still intact and untouched. Though she did notice the blood smeared on the drivers cream leather seat, no doubt from her werewolf hunt.<p>

"That better wash out." Vera mumbled.

Looking over to the passenger seat she also noticed the angel blade still left on it.

_No wonder no one has tried to steal it._ She thought. _Looks as if a physco owns it. _

She turned around and watched as Cas got out of the car. Waving him over, he looked both left and right before doing so.

"Can we make this quick, I have to open up shop before Nora gets here." He said, looking at the floor around him rather than into Vera's eyes.

"...alright, I guess. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Between the fight with the Rit Zien and the shitty date, it's been a pretty crappy night overall. Just checking up on you before you go back to that normal life I hear everyone talking about." Vera stuffed her hands in to her jacket and shrugged.

"I appreciate your concern, Vera, but I'm fine. Like you said, I'll call if I need anything." Cas turned around without another word and walked back up to the store. Opening it up with his key, he gave a half-hearted wave to the tattooed woman before entering.

The frown never left the hunters face from the moment he looked both ways when she waved him over, to him barely acknowledging her presence through their quick conversation. She waited a few more seconds, watching him as he continued his daily routine of setting up shop. Even though the fight with Ephraim was a close call, she was starting to see he really did not need her help any more. Her eyes looked down at the ground in show of sadness, before she turned back around and got in her car. Putting the key into the ignition, she let the engine run for a second before she drove off.

* * *

><p>Out-dated rock music blasted throughout the run-down shack the owners called a bar. The establishment smelt like sour booze and cigarette smoke as it buzzed with life. It was dingy, poorly kept and the beer was watered down, but Vera felt more relaxed and at peace than she had done for a damn long time. Hunched over the bar with a glass of gin, her hand rested on her chin in thought. Behind the half empty spirit bottles and chipped glasses, she saw her reflection in the mirror across from the bar. She looked tired and fed up, sorrow practically pouring from her pores. In short, pathetic. Vera frowned as the word crossed her mind. She had called herself many things in the past, and she never had the highest opinion of herself but not once had she ever considered herself pathetic. She sat up straight. The reflection stayed hunched over and continued to stare at her.<p>

_Oh god, no. Not now. Go away. We'll talk when we get back to the car. _Vera thought to herself angrily.

The reflection just continued to stare at her, almost in contempt. Vera held it's stare nervously for a minute, before the Vera in the mirror nodded its head to its left. The real hunter turned her head hesitantly and noticed nothing to begin with. She looked back to the mirror, which just continued to look in the same general area. Vera looked back and observed a group of 4 sitting in a booth. She thought nothing of it, until she saw their attire. All in suits, and all talking in hushed voices. They looked way too confident, and way too high-and-mighty for a run down bar such as the one they were in. But it was still nothing that should set off any major alarm bells.

_What of it? _Vera thought again.

The reflection just stood up and walked out the door. Vera quickly downed the last of her drink before leaving the money owed on the side of the bar. Once outside, she walked back to her car and got in it. She didn't start the engine, only adjusted the rear view mirror until she could see in it clearly.

"What? I get the 4 suits in a dive bar a bit strange but-" Vera began to say, before the woman in the mirror stopped her.

"Some of Malachi's soldiers. They're talking about capturing Castiel this night." The vision seemed more agitated than Vera was, and she could feel it's restlessness inside of her.

"Mala- who? How the hell could you hear that?" Vera asked.

"Have you forgotten what I am already? We must waste no more time and hurry. You spent enough time feeling sorry for yourself at the loss of your purpose."

"So I didn't call myself pathetic, it was you!" She said, clearly annoyed.

Looking over to the entrance of the bar, she saw the 4 supposed-angels walk out of the bar and file into a BMW. Vera's arm was pulled sharply to place the key into the ignition.

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Vera shouted, not liking the feel of her own body not in her control.

The engine started and she wasted no time in racing out of the parking lot and onto the road. If the drive back from her encounter with the angelic police officer was erratic, than her driving to Cas' motel room was down-right chaotic.

"Move out of the damn way, asshole!" Vera screamed as the car screeched past a slow pick-up truck - her fist practically punching the middle of the steering wheel.

"Is this the fastest this vehicle goes?" The vision asked. Vera had almost forgotten it was there.

"Do you want to drive, huh? Because I'm a wrong turn away from sending both myself and you through the fucking window!" Vera shouted back, swerving dangerously.

It was surprising how fast a Land Rover could go when pushed to it's limits. What should have been a 30 minute journey, took half that time as Vera nearly drove on the pavement every time she hit traffic. Pulling into the motels car park, she nearly crashed into a parked car. Leaping out of the car with the engine still running, she shouldered open the motel door.

Upon the door crashing open, and it still shockingly attached to it's hinges, Cas nearly jumped out of his bones as he was rudely awoken from his sleep.

"Cas!" Vera shouted. "We have to leave, now." She pulled out her angel blade and handled it with a white-knuckle grip. Back against the wall, she peeked her head around the corner of window. There was no sign of anything yet, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Cas just sat up in bed, with his hair disheveled, looking very much annoyed and confused.

"What?" He croaked, voice barely together as he had just woken up.

"Some of..." Vera tried to think of the name the reflection had told her. "...Malachi's angels are after you, and they know where you are. We need to move you, now!" She barked.

"Malachi? Are you sure? How do you know?" He asked, his confusion only growing as the conversation progressed.

_Oh shit._ Vera thought. She had forgotten that he didn't know about her inside friend.

"I... have friends in high places, alright? No more questions, let's move."

Cas didn't seem to need any more persuading as he quickly fumbled to get out of bed. Fortunately, he was pretty much fully dressed in jeans and a shirt.

"Where do we go?" He asked as he hopped around the room trying to get his shoes on.

"I have an apartment that a friend left not so far away from here, but far enough that you're out of danger. It'll give us a safe place to figure what we do next." Vera looked back out of the window and notice a black BMW pull into the parking lot. Adrenaline shot through her stomach.

They sprinted outside, but the angels in the car had already seen them. They jumped out of their car with angel blades in hand.

"Oh shit. Alright, new plan." She shoved Cas into the drivers seat. He gave her a frightened and confused expression. "The apartments logged into the GPS, go there and wait 3 days. If I haven't caught up by that time, call Sam and Dean. Now drive like you're being paid for it!" She took a step back and slammed the door shut. Cas had barely any time to process what was happening as he drove off without another question.

Vera turned around and sucked in a breath. The angels all gave her a look that could stop a charging rhino at 50 paces. She stretched out her arms wide and did her best to look confident. Vera thought that if she was going to go out, then she wanted to go out with flair and confidence.

The angels progressed towards her slowly, and she gripped her blade tighter.

"Come on, pretty boys." She taunted. "Who wants to dance first?"

* * *

><p><span>AN: Sorry if this chapter might seem a little rushed, but i'm attempting NaNoWriMo this year, and would like to get a good start over the weekend. The updates will still be coming regularly, I'll make sure of it. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed or followed for the support, it makes me feel good to see people enjoying what's happening so far. Feel free to give me suggestions or to tell me what you like, I'm always open for improvement and giving everyone more of what they like. Thanks again!


	11. Chapter 11

The first thing Vera smelt was copper. It was so pungent and ripe it made her nose wrinkle in disgust. After a few moments of her senses awakening she tasted it too, and it took everything she had not to throw up in her mouth. Opening her eyes, as bleary and blurry as her vision was, she was greeted with the source. Blood was splattered upon the ground around her feet and from the sticky feeling across her entire body, she presumed it was on her too. Going to reach down to wipe herself off, her arms only moved an inch before meeting resistance. She anchored her head to look up, and an explosion of panic and realization coursed through her body. Her hands were suspended high above her by chains and metal cuffs, and her ankles were in the same predicament too. A throbbing pain, once again in her shoulders, told her she had been that way for some time. Trying to free her hands by shaking them aggressively was a useless endeavor, she soon found out, and only resulted in making the pain in her body worse. Vera tried to clear her throat, only to find it dry and sore. She felt weaker and more vulnerable than she had in her entire life, both pre and post-death.

Giving up on trying to break free, she changed her motive to taking in her surroundings. It was a cold room, she could tell that much. Made even colder by the fact that she was practically naked save for her underwear. The four walls that surrounded her were completely concrete, and the door which was the only noticeable entrance and exit looked like it was made of four inches of thick metal. There wasn't even any windows or openings which meant she had no way of telling whether it was day or night, or even if she was topside or underground. There was no sound save for her breaths. She tried to recall the last thing she could remember, and the throbbing pain in her head gave her the reason why she couldn't. Vera remembered shoving Castiel into a car, him driving away, and then facing the angels. The battle, which she presumed she lost, was a big blur. If it went as badly as she felt, then she was quite content with forgetting it.

The door rattled in front of her, and there were murmurs coming from behind it. Panic rose from her stomach to her throat. Vera had been in many tricky situations since she started her escapades as a hunter, but never one such as this. She had no idea what her resistance to torture would be. She prayed it was high.

There was the sound of metal against metal, then the sound of rattling keys and the turning of a lock before the door was opened. A thin man stepped through the opening, clean shaven and a cool look in his eyes. He was tall, maybe 6"2 and his hair was so heavily slicked back with gel she was surprised it wasn't dripping down the sides of his chiseled jaw. Regarding Vera with a clear expression of disgust and contempt, he walked until he was a few feet in front of her.

"So, this is the Vera I have heard so much about." He stated, crossing his arms in an attempt to make him look more imposing.

"I hope I live up to the rumours." Vera croaked, her eyes holding the same glare similar to a cornered animal.

He scoffed and walked around her once, reviewing her like one would a piece of property.

"Not quite." He said, before standing back in front of her. "You know, I find it surprising that such a feeble human such as yourself managed to take down two of our soldiers before being subdued."

It was news to Vera. She had worked out that she must have tangled with them, but she had no idea that she had taken down two of them with her.

"I'm full of surprises."

He scoffed again, and the sound was already becoming annoying to her.

"On to more pressing matters. Malachi has a need for our brother Castiel to be captured, and as far as we know it, you're the only who knows where he is." He produced a simple hunting knife from his inside blazer pocket. "How much am I going to have to make you squeal before you tell me?"

"Make me squeal, dance and sing for all I care, asshole, I ain't telling you jack." Vera snapped, baring her teeth.

"I intend to."

He stepped closer, until she could smell his strong cologne. He pressed the blade just above her collar bone and pierced the skin. Vera growled low in her throat as he dragged the blade slowly downwards. He stopped just above her bra. Her mouth didn't even part to make a sound, she only stared him deep in the eyes.

"A resilient one, I see. Not to worry. I'll simply need a bigger blade. Enjoy your time here, Vera. For as long as you keep Castiel's whereabouts a secret, this will be your home."

He didn't lie.

* * *

><p>Vera was not sure how long it had been realistically, but it felt an age. The same angel came day after day, trying all of the different methods of torture one could possibly think of. Vera only continued to growl and groan, never making a sound louder. The only changes were the deep bags under her eyes and the collections of fresh cuts and scars added to her body. Her shoulder and hip bones began to jut out from loss of weight and her strength waned with each passing day. The being inside her seemed quiet and unresponsive, yet the only thing Vera noticed that signaled that it was still there was the numbing of her pains. Her torturer would drag a knife over a fresh patch of skin, and while it would still hurt as any normal cut would, it was as if Vera's brain couldn't comprehend just the amount of pain she was going through. She was sure she would be screaming and shouting by now if it wasn't for that. The same thing repeated itself, again and again, until one day he didn't show up. Vera was almost disappointed, it was the only thing that showed it was a new day. It was only until the door started to rattle again and a different figure stepped through it, that Vera knew that that day was going to be different. He walked in and simply smirked at her.<p>

"Normally, we would have killed you by now. I don't like to waste my time. But there's something that's not quite adding up here." He said, confidence radiating off of him.

"Who are you?" Vera mumbled.

"I am Malachi. I run this faction." He replied.

Vera was not sure whether it was a good or bad sign that her resilience had summoned the leader.

"It's a pleasure." She said sarcastically.

"Oh believe me, the pleasure's mine." He said. Crossing his arms, and placing his fists under his chin, he reviewed her carefully.

"I really wish your kind would stop staring at us like that. We're not animals at the zoo, you know." Vera said. He chuckled at her words.

"You are to us. But you... you are different. I would love to know, why one of _us_ would choose _you_, as a vessel. You're resistance to pain is remarkable, and your optimism is simply mind-blowing, but you... you are as dead as they come."

Vera lifted her head in surprise. So far, she had met a few with their suspicions, but not one had called her out. She didn't think it was possible.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Vera lied.

"Do we have to play this game? We both know that there's something keeping you anchored in this world. All I want to know, is who? They must be particularly strong if neither one of us have been able to identify them yet."

Vera swallowed, even though her mouth was bone-dry and there wasn't anything other than blood to actually swallow.

"I honestly don't think that's any of your business, no matter who you are." Vera said, some part of her hoping that that would be the end of it and he would simply leave. Or even better, let her go. But he simply frowned and stared at her down the ridge of his nose.

"Hm. You are as stubborn and awkward as described. No matter." Malachi reached behind him and held up an angel blade for Vera to see. "I'm giving the being inside you a chance to produce itself, else I carve up it's vessel until it's just four limbs and a torso."

He stepped forward and made a quick swipe across her abdomen. Light poured out of the cut temporarily as a high pitched sound filled the room. Vera could not contain the scream that left her that time. Every muscle tensed and her fists clenched so tightly they crunched.

"How many times am I going to have to do that?" Malachi said, observing her face and features closely.

It was a second. A mere second and Vera was gone. She could still hear, see, smell, taste and think, but her actions were no longer her own. Her eyes flashed bright, signalling that Vera was no long at the front, and instead, something else.

"Ah, that's better. Now, who am I addressing?"

"Just who do you think you are, you little rodent?" Vera barked, or at least the being inside her did.

Malachi's mouth hung agape, as if he couldn't believe the nerve of who he was speaking to.

"I am-"

"Malachi. Yes, I have heard the name." It said quickly, spitting out the name as if it were acid upon her tongue.

"Then you'll know just what I'm capable of."

"Failure and disappointment from what I have heard. You're nothing but a child playing on an adults chessboard, Malachi, and I demand you release me and my vessel immediately." It barked once again, tone holding much more authority than it actually had in that situation.

The real Vera was simple dumb-founded by the angels attitude. It wasn't going to get them anywhere by cussing at the man who held the power. She wondered if she could possibly buy a bigger spade for the grave that her angel was digging for them.

Malachi lunged forward and made two consecutive swipes, one across her abdomen again and another one across her cheek. Both the angel and Vera screamed loudly again, almost ear-piercingly so.

His anger made him short of breath, and he continued to huff furiously as he glared.

"No... you are certainly something else... I will find out who you are. Your powers are doing a good job at keeping it from me."

"I do not take orders from you. I have a mission, and I intend to complete it. I was also given specifications to destroy anyone in my way." It growled. "And you are in it."

"From who? Our father? Heavens closed and out of business, which means you must be taking orders from one of us. Who? Bartholomew?" Malachi pointed the angel blade at her threateningly.

"I respond to one being and one being only, and he is not you. Let us go, and I may just forget this had ever happened." It seemed as if the angel had finally realized that it wasn't really in a position to be giving out demands. Malachi did not seem swayed by it though.

"No. I've changed my mind. Now I know just what you are, and just what makes you tick, I'll let you live just a little longer. Perhaps you may be of use to me before this is over." He turned around, still seething and made for the exit.

"I am suppose to protect Castiel, Malachi. He may be the only key to resolving this. I have a job too, you know!" It shouted after him.

The door was already opened, and he only offered Vera a look of disinterest before leaving. Another man walked in after him, not Vera's usual torturer, a younger lad, much more timid and shy. He shut the big metal door behind him. He played with his fingers nervously, and the angel frowned at him in curiosity.

"And who in our Fathers name are you?" It snapped.

"Is it true, what you said about Castiel?" He whispered, barely audible from the far side of the room.

"Yes, of course. I would not be intervening in mortal events had I not deemed it a worthy endeavor."

He thought for a moment and nodded. Reaching behind him, Vera half expected him to produce an angel blade like everyone else, but the way he kept anxiously looking behind him made her think otherwise. In his hands, were a large set of keys. Her eyes widened at the sight of them.

"If I release you, do you swear that you'll fix this? That we can return home, to how things used to be?" He asked, as shy as a foal.

Vera nodded slowly, daring to get her hopes up at the thought of release.

The angel placed the keys in the locks, and released her shackles one by one. Vera knew her shoulders had always been bad because they had never had a chance to heal properly, but having them suspended up to her ears for a long time had only succeeded in making them much, much worse. Her body collapsed to the floor in heap, her legs feeling like to twigs rather than limbs. Both the real Vera and the angel groaned, and rubbed their sore body blindly.

"I... will never get used to this." It groaned. "These human bodies are so feeble and breakable. It's a miracle they have survived so long."

"Yeah, it took me some time too. If you succeed though, maybe we won't have to use them for much longer." The other angel advised, a glimmer of hope dancing across his freckled features.

"What is your name, young one?" She asked.

"Ophiel. And... yours?" He asked back.

Standing tall, Vera stood at least a head taller over the smaller man.

"Azrael."

The name stirred fear in the man like a storm, his eyes widening like a deer caught in headlights.

"I thought you had died in the fall?!" Ophiel stuttered out quickly.

The angel rubbed her wrists. The cuffs had cut deep into the flesh, almost down to the bone.

"You do not think that I could of faked my own death, Ophiel? Do you not remember who I am?" It snapped, stepping closer to the smaller angel with a predatory look in it's eyes.

"I-... I don't-..." The angel took steps back, until his back hit the metal door.

"Sh." The angel quietened. "I thank you for you're help, but you are in my way... and you know too much."

Ophiel didn't have a chance to respond as Azrael put Vera's hand to his forehead, and in a second, Ophiel was no more. The body slumped to the ground, and Azrael kicked it out of the way.

The real Vera could hardly keep up with what was happening, and for a moment she was glad she was on the inside because if she wasn't, she would have probably had a breakdown already. She felt like a puppet, her body tied to strings and not in her control, and she hated it.

"I apologize, Vera. I will see to our release, and then you will have control again." It reassured.

Azrael opened the door and stepped outside.

Vera would have closed her eyes if it was possible. Her time there so far had rendered both her physically and mentally weak, something Azrael did not approve of. The angel blasted their way through the underground complex, destroying the few angels that dared to stand in their way. Vera thought it would have been laughable had she been able to see herself, destroying her way through angels of the Lord in only her underwear. Though, she didn't think she'd get the image of empty eye sockets and charred flesh out of her mind anytime soon.

They were not that deep under, Malachi and his men must not of realized who they were really keeping prisoner. The light of day poured onto her skin soon enough and it felt wondrous to them both. It was an industrial estate, Vera observed, and there were one or two black cars dotted about that would serve as there getaway vehicle.

"We must find Castiel and make sure he is safe. I do not know how long it has been, I pray it has not been long enough." Azrael spoke, defiant and confident as always. "I'll leave this to you now."

Vera felt her eyes go white for a moment and she thanked the Heavens when she could move her fingertips on her own accord, something she never knew she had taken for granted. Though as nice as it was to be able to move at her own will, the pain and agony that came with it too rendered it a short victory. She hadn't realized just how bad of a condition she was in until she tried to stumble towards a car. Azrael noticed this too, and in a second, Vera felt herself heal and return to normality. Her wounds were cleansed and no longer there. The only damages that remained were the cuts across her cheeks and stomach made by the angel blade, which Vera presumed the angel could not heal. Luckily they were only small cuts, almost paper-cut like, and they would heal on their own. The main thing she noticed though, was her vision. She blinked rapidly...she could see out of both eyes.

"Oh my..." Vera gasped, staring at the world as if she could see it for the first time.

She saw the car that must have transported her unconscious body to the prison. Out of a sense of irony, Vera chose that one to escape in. Running up to it, she stared into her reflection wide-eyed. Her facial scar was still there, but staring into her reflection and seeing two blue eyes stare back felt so odd. Shaking her head violently, remembering just what she was doing, she lifted up her elbow ready to smash the window. It caved in and broke easily enough, and she unlocked the car door from the inside. The alarm went off, but Vera reached in and turned it off. A thought crossed her mind, and walking around the back, she opened the boot and smiled dumbly as she saw what was in there. Her clothes looked ripped and bloodied, but it was better than driving around in the nude. She changed, taking longer than usual to keep checking on the door to make sure she wasn't being watched or followed. Once decent, she climbed back in the car. It only took her a moment to hot wire the engine before she drove dangerously out of the estate. In a run of good luck, her phone was also in her pocket, though the screen was cracked. She dialled Cas' number, but there was no answer. Vera cursed and prayed that he was alright, and decided to ring Dean instead.

"Dean? It's Vera. Is Cas with you?"

"Vera?!" Dean gasped. "I thought you were dead, man, where are you?"

"I played prisoner with a bunch of these friendly angel-folks." Vera said drily, setting course for the safe house.

"How did you get out?" He asked.

"I bargained. I may have lied a bit too, but I'm out. Do you know where Cas is? Is he alright?" She asked quickly, scenarios of how he might have been captured or killed running through her brain.

"Yeah, as far as I know. He gave us a call not so long ago saying that you had run into trouble. I hate to admit it, but I told him you might as well have been dead. I didn't think angels made a habit of taking prisoners?"

"They don't, but luckily, I held some valuable info. And he called you? I told him to call you if I hadn't been heard from for 3 days? How long has it been?" Panic started to well back up again in her chest.

"He called about 4 days ago, said he was going to try and get some information on the angels who killed you." Dean explained.

"You're joking right?." Vera sighed, she would have face-palmed if she had not been driving. "Where was he last?"

Dean told Vera where Cas was last heard from. It seems he was trying to track down a few angels about her whereabouts or at least the angels who "killed" her. Vera cursed his foolishness for running into the exact kind of beings that were trying to hunt him down. She thanked Dean for the details and decided to head towards Cas' location as soon as she could.

Driving as fast as she could without driving illegally, she arrived to where Dean had said after a few hours. She felt weak and dizzy, but wouldn't rest no matter how much her body advised she should. Vera always knew her determination would be the death of her.

She pulled up outside of a bar, that was just starting to open. Vera decided she would start her hunt there. It was a scenic place, surrounded by forests on nearly all sides. After asking the owner if he had seen a 5"11, rugged man in there, they pointed her in a more specific direction. He had in fact, been working there for a while. Vera thought that perhaps he was using his brain, even angels can be susceptible to the effects of alcohol. What safer way to gather information than to simply let them talk? No blood and no effort.

"Do you know where he is now?" She asked, her voice still sounding as if she had been smoking for 45 years.

"He's gone out for a break. He normally just stands lake-side staring out, but hey." The man shrugged. "He comes in on time and works his ass of so whatever."

Vera thanked him and quickly left the establishment. Looking left and right, she saw a path in the forest that supposedly lead to the lake. It was a few minutes walk, and the smell of fresh pine and earth was much more likeable than the smell of sweat and blood. As the forest began to thin out, she saw a man staring far out into the distance. The lake was huge, and mountains lay at the other side of it. It was very picturesque, and Vera could see why Cas would spend his free time there.

She stepped closer, making sure to be quiet until she was a few feet behind him. Vera stayed that way for a while, just taking in the view as he was. It was exceptionally quiet. It was hard to imagine that world was at it's breaking point from the silence of everything. Vera decided enough was enough.

"You look lost." She said, voice just above a whisper.

His head and body spun around immediately, and she wasn't sure whether it was from her breaking the silence or because he recognized her voice.

"Vera!" He gasped.

Vera smiled, a full-hearted and very much happy smile, one she never thought she was capable of. He grinned back like a child. She expected him to be dubious, or to be angry, what she didn't expect was him to run towards her. Vera braced herself, but he didn't attack. He embraced her.

It took her a few moments to respond, her arms stuck out like a robot, but when she realized just what he was doing, she hugged him back.

"I thought you were dead." He murmured on her shoulder.

"That still didn't stop you from looking for me though." Vera murmured back.

Cas' grip was tight, as if he was afraid she would slip through his fingers if he loosened it. She wasn't a very loving person, she new that, but she refused to let go as much as he did. But not wanting to make things uncomfortable, she pulled away first. Vera cleared her throat awkwardly and let out a light laughter as Cas just stared at her as if he couldn't believe she was standing there.

"Your.. eyes..." He said, staring intently into them.

"Yeah... aha, it's a long story... how about we discuss it over a few beers, hm?"

He stood there, not moving, looking very much fragile and uncertain.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Cas. I'm not leaving again." She said, determined and sure than she had ever been about anything in all her life.

His expression lightened and he nodded.

"I'm not used to seeing you with two eyes." Cas said.

"I'm not used to _seeing_ with two eyes." Vera chuckled as they began to walk back to the bar.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're joking." Cas said in astonishment.

"Not at all. I may not be the best talker in the world, Cas, but I do have my ways." Vera said, chuckling into her beer bottle as she took another long swig.

Cas sat across the table from her, searching her face in a weird mix of disbelief and admiration.

"So you... lied you're way out of an underground complex full of angels... in you're underwear?" He repeated again.

"I wouldn't have minded if it wasn't a good bra." Vera joked.

The angel had a hard time adapting to Vera's story, and had he never met her before he would have called her on her bullshit. But he did know her, and after everything they had been through together so far, he didn't put it past her to achieve what she did. Vera was surprised that he did manage to buy her story though. She was one of the worst liars and deceivers she ever knew, and saying that she managed to trick and bargain her way out of a group of angels was like saying she just grew wings and flew out of there. Thinking on that for a moment, she came to the resolution that it wasn't necessarily impossible giving her current predicament.

"And you've just been..what, collecting info for this past week?" Vera clarified, shaking her beer bottle to see if it was empty. Unfortunately for her, it was.

"Collecting names, honestly. I mainly wanted to know who and where." He said, staring into the lemon water he ordered.

"The angels that grabbed me?" She asked.

"Yes." He mumbled.

"This isn't some super-hero movie, Cas, if I didn't think I couldn't of handled the situation I wouldn't have shoved you into that car and told you to go. I'm a big girl, when will you get that?" Vera could not fathom why Cas would run into the arms of the very people he was meant to be hiding from. If Dean told him she was dead, why couldn't he have just accepted that and moved on? But then again, Vera wondered what she would have done had the positions been reversed. She doubted she would have just sat on her ass and wait for everything to blow over.

Cas nodded solemnly, and Vera actually felt bad. Like when you scold a puppy.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm back with two eyes and a thirst for some angel-hunting." She said, waving at the barman to get his attention and pointing at her beer.

The angel looked up curiously at this and frowned.

"Didn't you just tell me not to do that again?" He said, looking at Vera as if she was a huge hypocrite. Which technically at that point, she was.

"Yeah, but thinking about it – we could run for the rest of our lives. I could hide you at every point of the earth but I don't think this mess will ever blow over. Our options are, we take to the fight to them, and _possibly_ die, or we hide with our head in the sand and _definitely_ die. Personally, neither of them appeal to me, but it's up to you." She said casually as the barman brought over another beer and took the empty one away.

Cas thought on it for a minute, not accepting the grim truth very well.

"I understand. But without my powers-" He started, in the usual down-beat tone someone would use when they were down on their luck. Vera hated it.

"You're practically defenseless, I get it. But you know who else is like that? Pretty much every human there is. Sam and Dean don't have powers or abilities, and they've took down nearly every bad guy with a rep there is. When there's a will there's a way, Cas." Vera reassured.

He looked as if he didn't like the idea, but accepted it anyway. "Where would we start? The prison they kept you in?" He asked.

Vera shook her head violently as she swallowed another big gulp of beer.

"Nope, definitely not. Walk back in there and we'll get slaughtered - I barely made out myself. We start light, see how much we can handle. Luck on our side," She left out the part where it rarely was. "We'll have you and your feathered friends back in heaven soon enough." Vera finished confidently, even though the plan was so vague it was barely there.

"You say 'we' a lot." He observed after a minute or so of silence. "I understand your task is to protect me, but this isn't your problem. You don't have to do this." Cas said. Vera wondered what was in the water to give him amnesia because she had thought that they had this conversation before.

"Really? We're going to have this conversation again?" She said tiredly. "You're problems are my problems, do I have to get that tattooed on you for you to understand that?" Her beer didn't last much longer as she got some money out of her pocket and threw it on the table. "Come on, it's been a tiring day and I'm ready to relax properly. Been locked up in a prison cell with your arms suspended up by your ears really makes you appreciate a moth-eaten motel bed."

They made their way out of the bar, Vera a little wobbly from the beers. She had to give herself a pat on the back when it came to drinking, she could always think pretty clearly when she was intoxicated. Then again, everything sounded clear in her head when she drank, but what came out of her mouth was a completely different story. Getting into the car and setting off, she asked Cas where the nearest motel was and he pointed her in the right direction. It was a quiet journey, and the roads were almost empty from it being late in the night. Cas kept to himself, but anyone could tell he was deep in thought. Vera wondered if her coming back was a good or bad thing. To her, it seemed he was getting everything together and had a clear game plan, and her coming back just looked as if it complicated things. Vera would have never came back to him if it wasn't for her internal friend. She nearly always worked alone, never needed anybody – never wanted anybody. But her time with Castiel had changed her mindset slightly and she could sort of see the appeal of having a partner.

"You know Cas," Vera swallowed heavily, not sure if she should continue with what she was about to say for fear of the answer. "If you feel as if you don't need me, you only have to say. I know I'm not the easiest to get along with, and I have a certain... flare for the dramatic... so if you don't want me around tell me. I don't hold grudges." She said finally after many deep breaths. Keeping her eyes on the road because she daren't look him in the eye, she nervously waited for his reply. Vera didn't see the way his head suddenly snapped in her direction, or the small glimmer of fear in his eyes.

"Do I appear ungrateful?" He asked.

Vera frowned to herself at him taking her words the wrong way.

"What? No! I just meant..." She sighed as she tried to find the right words. Vera never considered herself a lot of things until she met Cas, and now insecure was suddenly on that list. "I just meant you're a capable man _and_ angel. I don't want to seem as if I'm just smothering you when you don't really need it."

"Smothering me?" Cas sighed himself, something that sounded strange to Vera's ears. "Vera, I know you are doing what you think is right. I am not _completely_ oblivious to human emotion. And having you by my side fills me with a sort of... confidence I've never experienced before."

"I fill you with... confidence?" Vera said, a little baffled.

Cas nodded. "I too found it strange to begin with. I am an angel of the Lord, with knowledge that surpasses any human on this earth, and I find you... inspiring."

Vera blinked, even more confused. She wasn't expecting a confession of feelings. If anything, she was anticipating an argument. She knew she could have dealt with that better.

"I'm inspiring? Wait, am I sort of role model to you? Have you seen me? I shot an old lady in the foot by accident once, for Gods sake." Vera kind of wanted to chuckle at the memory, but thought better and held it in.

"You are not something I look up to Vera," Cas chuckled. Vera felt a peculiar mix of disappointment and relief. "But I do have a certain... admiration for you..." He trailed off, looking out of the side window.

Vera raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she pulled into the motel parking lot. She switched the engine off and opened the car door. Something suddenly hit her as they began to walk into the reception.

"Say," Vera called over to him. "What happened to that Land Rover?" She wasn't really sure she wanted to know.

"I may of... crashed it into a tree as I drove to that safe house you told me of." He said timidly, not sure of her reaction.

Vera got real mad for a moment, but swallowed her anger and decide to laugh it off.

"And you managed to walk away from that?" She said, as she rang the bell on the desk for someone.

"A few bruises and scrapes. It seems that the car wasn't as sturdy as you made it out to be." Cas replied.

Vera shook her head in disbelief and a hint of respect as the man came in from the back. Asking for a room with two double beds, he handed the keys over and Vera paid. Playing with the keys in her hand as they walked to the motel room, she couldn't wait to buy new clothes in the morning and have a shower. She may be technically dead, but her body still worked the same and she wasn't sure she wanted to know how she looked at that point.

They settled into the room fairly peacefully, it was once again shabby and outdated but it was better than nothing. Even though Vera was a little drunk from the beers she already had, she opted for another, telling herself she deserved it after all she endured in the week so far. She asked Cas if he wanted one, and he surprisingly said yes as he stood on the spot awkwardly like he always did. He must have been somewhere else, Vera thought, because when she tossed the can in his direction, he completely missed it and it fell to the floor in front of his feet. Luckily it didn't break or dent, but Vera didn't want to be within 3 feet of it when it was opened.

"Wow, tough day at the office or something? What was up with that?" She asked, surprised by his slowness. Picking it up for him, she opened it over the sink in the bathroom and returned it to him.

"I was deep in thought, I'm sorry." Cas accepted the can and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"That's kind of worrying, Cas, that kind of shit will get you killed if we're really going to start facing off against your brothers and sisters." She said, genuinely concerned for his well being. One of the main reasons she never wanted a partner was the rule of constantly keeping an eye out for them.

"I'm capable, Vera. I'll be fine." He said, sounding as if he desperately wanted the conversation to end.

Vera didn't believe him, and her face gave that away, but Cas was too busy looking at the ground to notice. She fished into her pocket and got out her phone. Pursing her lips in thought, she casually walked over to the other side of the room. She was surprised Cas didn't notice, but she thought he soon would.

"Hey, Cas!" His head snapped up, and Vera threw the phone at him like one would a baseball. It thumped heavily into his chest and he grunted, but he didn't catch it. He didn't realize what was happening until the phone had bounced off his chest and fallen into his lap. Holding it up, completely bewildered and slightly angry, he examined it and by some wonder it was still fine.

"What was that for?" Castiel barked.

Vera just folded her arms and regarded him seriously. "I was just proving a point. Since you lost your grace you've become sloppy. That's dangerous to both you and me."

"I'm sloppy because I couldn't catch a phone that was thrown at me?" He asked angrily again.

"It was a small test, okay? My point is that you've relied on your celestial powers and strength for so long that now they're gone you're like a cripple with a cane. It's too easy to knock you over. Come on, stand up." She said as she walked back over to him. He still seemed majorly pissed, but stood up anyway. Vera was glad at this point that he didn't have his powers, she reckoned she would have been one small step away from being blown to small pieces.

"What now?" Cas said impatiently.

"I'm going to run you through some hand-to-hand basics. Don't give me that teenager-like 'i'm sick of your shit' look, I don't want to get killed because you can't block a punch." Cas still looked angry, but he put his beer on the table and stood ready.

"Alright, I'll throw a punch and I want you to show me how you block it." Vera said.

She threw a punch, but slowed it down slightly just in case he didn't catch it in time and she broke his jaw. He caught it in his right palm easily. Cas looked tired and gave Vera a look that said he had proved his point. Not taking him simply catching her punch as proof that he was capable, she swung his arm around and pressed it up against his back. Quickly kicking the back of his knee he fell to the ground pretty easily. She lightened all of her blows, but she had no doubt by his grunts that he still felt it.

"Don't get cocky remember - and don't throw any of those movie one-liners until you're certain they're dead." She let go and he stood up, a little less angry and a little more determined. "I'm going to do the same again."

Vera did the punch again, quickening it but lightening it again. He caught it, and before Vera had a chance to react, he spun her around until her back was pressed up against his front. Shocked wouldn't describe it, as he breathed heavily in her ear. Feeling a little awkward by this, she used the stale-mate to kick his shin and fling her head back. He let go in pain and she spun around, her stance aggressive but her face smiling.

"Not bad actually!" She laughed. Vera remembered play fighting with Dean when they were much younger, he tried to cop a feel every now and again but she had forgotten how fun she found it.

"Do it again, I'm ready this time." He said, more determined than ever. It seemed even he was getting into it.

She pulled her fist back like she did before and Cas readied himself. This time though, she didn't go through with it, and instead, flicked her leg up to his side. He caught this too, and Vera wobbled uncertainly as he stayed like that for a moment. Kicking her other leg, she fell to the ground with a heavy thump, and she groaned. You could lighten a punch, but you couldn't lighten gravity apparently. Wind knocked out of her, she wheezed out a laugh.

"God I hate it when people do that." She coughed. Cas held out his hand and helped her up. He was grinning smugly, and Vera took that as a challenge. "Alright Cassy-kins, let's see what else you've got." She jeered.

They ran through different drills and practices for a while, drinking more beer and laughing as the night went on. Even though Vera thought that they really should be sleeping and planning what to do next, she really enjoyed pretending to be younger than she actually was for a change. Procrastination was always one of her strong points. Vera soon found out he was definitely more capable and more smart than she gave him credit for. He handled himself well, and if Vera ever really faced off against him, she wondered if she'd actually win. As the night progressed and she collected a few more bumps and bruises, she hoped she would never had to.

"Alright, Bruce Lee..." Vera breathed as they were both panting heavily by this point. "Hit me again."

Cas threw another punch and Vera parried it off, grabbing his shirt suddenly and swinging them both to the ground. Cas held onto her, and she tumbled on top of him. It wasn't how she planned it, and she nearly head-butted him without meaning to. Tiredness and dizziness from the alcohol kicking in, Cas used to confusion to flip her over so that he was on top.

"Submit?" He said, confidently. Vera wriggled, but he had all her limbs firmly pinned. She always prided herself on strength, but his vessels body was deceivingly strong.

"Alright." She grunted, having lost again.

He didn't let go though. Vera fidgeted again, but her wrists were firmly pinned above her head. Looking into his blue eyes, he had a strange look in them. Like he was in thought, but looking straight at her at the same time.

"Cas?" Vera called uncertainly. He didn't respond, but it seemed he was inspecting her features closely. Feeling his breath upon her cheek, she felt nervous and awkward. Had this been any other man or being, she probably would have launched him to other side of the room and scolded him for it. But she just stared back at him.

"Cas?" She said again, but whispered this time. Vera had been in many fights, battles and confrontations, but she had never felt such tension before.

"I'll kill Malachi for what he's done to you." He said deeply and coldly. Vera was always fond of actions instead of words, but by the way he said it... she believed him.

"You're not going to be able to much down here." Vera said, whispered but joking at the same time. Her voice felt not her own, like it was lighter and much more feminine. She went from feeling like she was the toughest thing around when she first met Castiel, and now a she felt like a wallflower wilting.

Cas seemed to snap himself out of whatever trance he was in and abruptly stood up and got off her. He paced over into the bathroom and shut the door. Vera just sat up slightly so she was leaning on her forearms, a little shaken but more confused. She sat like that for a few minutes, trying to process what just happened until she heard the shower turn on. For some reason it set her mind at ease and she stood up. Finding herself a little dizzy, from the fighting or the drinking she wasn't sure, but she stumbled over to her bed and sat on it, rubbing her face and temples. A burning feeling started inside of her, like indigestion mixed with nerves, and she suddenly remembered that she had an angel inside her. The burning feeling she felt she put down to disapproval, and she was sure she'd have a lecture next time she looked in a mirror. It was a large price to pay for her life, that was sure. The only thing Vera could think of to do, was what she always did - act like everything was completely fine. Standing up and shaking every other feeling off of her, she switched the T.V on for background noise and watched it. It wasn't long until Cas came back out, dressed again and seemingly normal. He offered a small smile to Vera, which she could tell was undoubtedly forced, and she returned it.

"I... I've.. I have-" Castiel stuttered, and Vera just stared at him curiously. "I have something I need to say."

Vera never liked the phrase. It was like saying 'I've heard something about you' or 'I want to talk to you'. She gave Cas a look that told him to continue and he took a deep breath.

"I-"

Something started ringing and it caused Cas to stop. Vera looked around confused, only to realise that it was actually her phone. She exchanged an uneasy look with the angel and got up and grabbed it. The number on the screen she didn't recognize.

"Hello?" She said uncertainly.

"Would this be Vera?" A voice said. It a was a males, she could tell that for sure. And it was too polite and confident for Vera to trust.

"Depends whose asking." Vera said vaguely, glancing at Cas who looked on edge.

"You wouldn't happen to be the owner of a black BMW?" The man said. This made Vera even more nervous.

"Yeah." She simply said.

"Well it's blocking my car outside, the man at the desk gave me your number and I would be most appreciative if you would move it."

Vera let out a breath of relief and laughed.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be out in a minute."

She ended the call and turned to Cas, who was still unsure about what was going on.

"Just someone who wants me to move my car. I'll be back in a minute." Vera said casually. She tucked her gun in her back pocket, just to make sure though.

"And they decided to ring you about it?" He replied, evidently still suspicious.

"He got my number at the desk or something. Relax and get some sleep. If I need your help, I'm sure you'll hear me." She reassured, waving off his insecurity and walking out the door.

The car was still outside, a safe distant from the motel room. Vera did find it funny though, she couldn't remember blocking anyone when she parked, but then again she wasn't completely herself lately. Once she reached the car, she couldn't see another car anywhere near it, or anyone else for that matter. Reaching for her gun, she gave the car and area a once-over with her eyes.

"I'm actually surprised you bought that." Someone said casually. Spinning around, Vera came face to face with a smaller man. He didn't particularly look dangerous or threatening, he was a bit chubby around the edges and unshaven.

"Do I know you?" Vera said, standing stiff and cautious.

"I wouldn't expect _you_ too, but your friend..." He said, pointing at her still even though he was referring to someone else.

Vera frowned at him, confused once again. If things went on the way they did she was going to name her first child 'confusion'.

"What?"

"Do I have to call him out?" He said, like a father who was calling a child out on a lie. Vera suddenly knew who he was talking about. And apparently, so did the angel inside of her.

A flash of blue in the eyes and Vera took a back seat in her own body once again.

"Metatron." Azrael growled. "Coming here is definitely on your long list of mistakes."


	13. Chapter 13

Vera hated it. She detested the feeling of being stuck in her own body and not being able to control it. The feeling of suffocation and being trapped was overwhelming, but she took solace in the fact that she still had all of her senses. And that she was in relatively safe hands.

"What can I say? I like living dangerously." Metatron joked, extending his arms to the side as if everything was one big jest. Azrael did not share the humour, and only offered a slight snarl of the lips.

"Apparently so. You know I could kill you. I'd be praised across Heaven for my act of good." Azrael said, barely concealing the strong distaste behind her tongue. Metatron only shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged.

"I mean, yeah, you could... well you could try anyway. You may be the Angel of Death Azrael, but we all know that killing isn't quite your forte." He said knowingly.

Azrael looked down at Metatron, standing much taller than he in Vera's body, but he still had an aura around him that made him seem much more powerful than he actually was.

"I would have agreed," Azrael said, bitter at the mere thought of agreeing with him. "But things have changed. I find the act of taking a life much easier now, this vessel is so pact full of rage that it almost makes it enjoyable."

"Did you even believe that?" Metatron laughed. "You've changed, no doubt, but you're still the sad, sorrowful angel I remember from the moment you were created."

Vera could feel Azrael crack her knuckles as her fists clenched. It was different when the angel did it though, Vera observed. It was more intense and harsh. Metatron noticed this, but didn't seem fazed in the slightest, and only continued talking. Azrael had forgotten how much he enjoyed the sound of his own voice.

"But I haven't come to talk about the good ol'days. I've come to talk about the future, and more specifically, you're part in it." He pointed at Vera for emphasis.

"I'd rather chew on a razor blade and gargle acid than share a future with you, Metatron." Azrael spat. The smaller angel just tutted and shook his head slowly.

"Always so hateful and bitter. I was wrong, you really haven't changed much at all, have you?" When Vera's angel didn't answer he just continued. "But I will give you props though, it was _almost_ a challenge trying to track you down. You've grown smarter that's for sure. I mean, fooling the other angels into thinking your dead and hiding your identity? Classic, really. Does you're vessel even know who you are?"

"She is aware." Azrael said defiantly.

"Oh, she's listening now? That's a lot of trust, Azrael, you are really growing." There was a hint of sarcasm behind his words, which only succeeded in making the taller angel more angry with every second that passed.

"What do you want Metatron, I've no mood for your mind games." Azrael snapped.

Metatron held his hand up in mock submission.

"I've been doing a little thinking-"

"A miracle I'm sure."

"Very funny. But I've been flipping through a few names of our dear brothers and sisters, because... well it's a little lonely up there." He pointed towards the sky. "And I have a vision – the perfect Heaven. No more fighting, civil war or conflict. Just God's most loved, trusted and respected. And through a little thinking and hard work... I've made a way for that to happen."

"And you're picking those who you think are worthy enough to return to Heaven. I see." Azrael said, and Vera could practically feel the thoughts racing across it's mind.

"And I thought, who better to start with, than the famed Angel of Death? God entrusted a heavy duty to you, you know."

"I know exactly the duty our father entrusted to me, Metatron!" Azrael shouted. Metatron eyes widened a little, but his stance remained the same. The lamp lights flickered and buzzed around them. "A duty which you removed from me! Here I am, stuck in this feeble body on this broken earth with no way to return home – because of you!"

Vera wished Azrael would keep the noise down, they were a safe distance from the motel room, but not far enough to which Vera could say in confidence that Castiel could not hear them. As if hearing her thoughts, which was probably the case, Azrael lowered the sound and swallowed.

"I find no comfort here, Metatron. I was happy with escorting our deceased siblings to their resting places, but now with Heaven out of bounds and the death toll rising day by day... I hear nothing but their wails and screams." Azrael grimaced. "As painful as that is, I would rather endure an eternity of this than a day of working under you. You are nothing but a false pretender. I would have nothing to do with you." It finished.

"Don't be so rash now, Azrael. Consider it. No death, no more pain. Peace."

"Then what would be the point in me?" Vera's voice said, the very essence of sorrow. "I will not be lured by your words. Bother someone else."

Metatron looked pained for a moment, but nodded slowly.

"So... you'll follow that damned Castiel but you won't give _me_ the time of day?"

"Castiel is worthy of my respect." Azrael spoke softly. "I believe in him."

"Have it your way. Word of warning though, I wouldn't get too close." Metatron said. Azrael squinted in confusion. "Those that do have this way of... dying. But then again, who would be better at dealing with that than you, right?"

In a blink and a flutter of wings, he was gone. Vera could feel the rage bubbling up inside of her, but Azrael did nothing more than fade into the back of it's vessels' concious until the real Vera was in full control again. Giving her hands a testing squeeze, she felt sure that she was in full control. Looking around cautiously, Vera was glad to see no-one had heard their angel argument and had come out to investigate. Walking back to the motel room, she worked through different stories and lies to tell Cas about her long departure. She could still feel the anger inside of her, it made her hands twitchy and her mind a little dizzy.

Opening the door and adorning a clearly faked smile, she nodded to Cas who was sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked deep in thought and a little troubled, but when she entered he stood up.

"I heard shouting, was everything alright?" He asked, clearly concerned.

"Yeah, just some dick with a Mercedes. No big deal." She shrugged.

"Are you sure? The lights flickered and the T.V came on."

Vera's eye twitched, but she let out an uneasy laugh.

"Faulty wiring, probably. You know how these places are." Vera threw her keys on a counter and walked towards the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower then getting some sleep. I suggest you do the same." Vera hid her face of shame as she entered the bathroom, full well knowing what a poor excuse and lie it was.

Cas eyed her curiously.

* * *

><p>Vera couldn't find much sleep. Her heart kept thrumming, and adrenaline pumped through her body. No matter how hard she tried, it felt as if she was on constantly on edge. Her hands never ceased to shake and her breathing was erratic at best. Oddly enough, she spent most of the night on her side, watching Cas as he slept peacefully. It killed her to keep something so important from him. She wasn't even sure how she would approach the subject even if she wanted to. 'Hey Cas, want to guess what I've got inside of me?' hardly seemed appropriate. Trust was a hard thing to come by, Vera knew this better than most, and revealing what was really happening would destroy any amount they had between them. No, Vera decided. It was the for the best, she told herself.<p>

As routine, Vera was awake long before Cas. But instead of sitting at the table disassembling her gun or hunched over a stale cup of coffee, she sat with phone in hand. It was strange for Cas to see, he had worked out that she only ever used the phone in emergencies, but the way she was speaking to it was peculiar. Her hair was in a bun also, not strange but certainly unusual. The cherry on top though, was her attire. There were no leather, tears, blood or skin. She was dressed in a full office pant-suit. Complete with heels.

"Of course. Thank you." Vera ended the call and tucked the phone into a pocket in her blazer.

Cas groaned as he swung his legs off of the bed. The first time he rubbed his eyes was to clear the haze of sleep. The second time, however, was to check that what he was seeing was real. Vera caught this, and frowned. Standing up with a sigh, she flattened the creases out of her outfit.

"Yes I'm in a suit. Yes, it's for real. Yes, it's really me and if you whisper a word of this to Dean I'll tear your tongue out through your teeth." She cleared her throat. "Cup of coffee?"

The angel didn't know where to start, he was still eyeing Vera as if he was seeing her for the first time.

"You're wearing a suit." He said simply, voice still dry and horse from sleep.

"Very observant Cas, really!" If sarcasm was a liquid, it would have been dripping out of her mouth. "Cup of coffee while I'm still feeling relatively agreeable?"

"Why are you wearing a suit?" He asked, as if this was the strangest thing to have happened on his Father's earth so far.

"For fuck-" She bit her tongue abruptly and let out a breath through her nose. " There's a case, alright? Requires a little...civility and subterfuge."

Cas raised an eyebrow.

"I'm pretending to be FBI."

"Oh." The angel nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee himself, he looked to Vera again. "Why?"

"I'm taking a note out of Sam and Dean's book. I'm fed up of breaking into people's houses to find answers, so I'm doing this instead. Put on a suit."

Almost spitting out his coffee, Cas coughed for a minute before spluttering out a question.

"I'm going with you?!" Vera gave him an odd look and nodded. "I... may not be the best choice to be your partner."

"Nonsense." Vera chuckled, giving him a hefty slap on the back. "How bad could you be?"

* * *

><p>Vera kicked herself so many times that she was sure her legs had turned into lollipop sticks.<p>

She had never been one to tempt fate, having watched too many horror movies, and she kicked herself again for trying it in real life. The evening bustle of the retro diner that herself and Castiel was in was loud, and the noise seemed to echo in Vera's mind – resulting in a mood-lowering headache. Nursing a cup of coffee, which she had poured a heavy amount of whiskey in, she rubbed her temples hoping that some higher power would grant her reprieve from her tiring day.

"I'm sorry... again." Cas sat opposite her in the leather booth, his features very much resembling a child who had spilled paint on the carpet. "I'm a-"

"Don't." That was all Vera said, the normal determination and confidence in her voice completely gone. The last thing she wanted to hear was his usual 'I'm a failure' routine.

"We did manage to save the family at least." Cas added in meekly.

"Yeah, after we burned half of the block down and made them homeless." She snapped. A couple who sat in front of them glanced at the formally dressed hunter curiously. Vera only glared back until they quickly turned back around.

"Mistakes were made." He said, not looking her in the eye for fear of her harsh gaze.

"You reduced the child to tears, Cas! We save people and let them get on with their lives. You don't try and explain to them what's really out there, and definitely not to a six year old girl who just watch you take off her old man's head!" Vera quickly noticed the funny looks she was getting from all around the diner and lowered her voice. Turning back to Cas, she felt a pain welling in her gut at the look upon his face. "But yes... we did save the day, I guess." There was a small silence.

"So... should we do this again?" He asked.

"Oh God no." Vera answered quickly. Castiel didn't get angry, he just sighed in relief and they shared an easy laugh together.

"This whole dressing up thing is really not my scene, man. I think I'll just stick to threatening and bribing." Vera tugged at the collar around her neck, which had been rubbing her throughout the long day. She didn't know where to begin when it came to the pain in her feet. "I feel like a trashy business mom, I can't wait to get this shit off."

"I think you look good." Cas said, barely louder than a whisper. Without Vera's keen ear, there wouldn't have been a chance she would have heard him over the hustle of the diner.

"You're kidding me right?" She chuckled in disbelief. Pulling back the sleeves on her blazer, she outstretched her arms and fingertips towards him. "How many police stiffs have you seen with tattooed sleeves?"

Cas smiled and shrugged. He hadn't seen Vera's tattoos up close before, and he was amazed at how intricate they were. Some were faded and some had large scars ripping through them, the only sign that there was any skin underneath. The largest pattern he noticed was that a large proportion of them were famous paintings, mainly of bible scriptures. He never took Vera for the religious sort. "I think they reflect your personality."

Vera frowned in confusion.

"Faded and fake?"

"Detailed."

"Oh." Vera reclined back in her seat and pursed her lips in thought. "You know I have the Harley Davidson logo on right hip." Cas cocked his head like he usually he did when he was confused. "College." She explained simply. "But I'm really not as complex or 'detailed' as you think."

"I find you interesting." He caught Vera's suspicious eye and coughed. "For a human."

The hunter laughed a little awkwardly, and the look of relief was clear on her face when her phone buzzed in her pocket. The number she recognized, but it wasn't Sam or Dean's. Answering it, she put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Vera, you asked me to ring you if I heard something about our feathered friends?"

Thanksgiving had passed, so she presumed her friend was talking about angels. Looking at her angelic friend, she mouthed the words 'hunter contact' to explain who was on the other end of the phone.

"Anyone you know?" She asked.

"How many angels have you seen me with? I don't know them, but I'm just passing on the information." The gruff voice continued on to tell her the location and the details of what he knew. Muttering quick goodbyes, Vera slid the phone back in her pocket.

"Did I hear something about angels?" Cas asked hurriedly, as if he couldn't get the words out quick enough.

"Yeah-" A rumble erupted within her being, and her hands began to shake. It was worse than the anger she had felt before, and the feeling was so foreign and strange Vera had to fight the urge not to claw at her own skin. She took the hint, the angel wanted to come to the front, but evidently not in front of Castiel. Clearing her throat, she looked at Castiel, who was staring at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" He panicked.

"Yeah, yeah. Strong coffee, always gave me the shakes." Vera said breathlessly, shaking her body a little to prove to herself she was in control. "But um, yes... angels." Clearing her throat once more, she explained to Cas what she knew, which wasn't a lot. Vera had a large amount of respect for her friends in the hunting business, though she rarely saw them and barely ever worked with them, but when it came to the supernatural that didn't have claws or fangs very few knew they even existed. Cas listened intently to what she said, but she did notice the times his eyes would occasionally flicker down to her lips and back up again to her eyes.

"Shall we go now?" Cas asked as Vera ushered over a waitress to pay the bill.

"Um, yeah. But I've got to-"

"Leave again?" He snapped.

Vera recoiled slightly from his sudden flash of anger, and her surprise turned to guilt as she realized what he meant. It tore her up to leave again, but the way her angel was clawing at her insides made her feel sick and uncomfortable. She told herself that she had no choice.

"If I had a choice Cas, I wouldn't give another thought to helping you out. But I'll be back before you know it. I'll drop you off at the bar tomorrow, you've got your suit and stuff, but I've gotta' drop of the radar for a while." The angel sat across her didn't seem to be buying her excuse, which she could understand because it was piss poor, so Vera decided to try another approach.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand atop Castiel's and looked him deeply in the eye. For a moment she couldn't catch his gaze because he was staring at their hands together oddly, but after clearing her throat, he looked back up.

"Do you trust me?" She asked softly, more than she thought she was capable of. A few seconds ticked by slowly before he answered.

"Yes... of course I do." He seemed pained to say it.

"I promise I'll be back for you. You know I'm not the best with words, so just trust me. I'll explain when I can."

"Alright." He mumbled. Not because he still wasn't buying her story or her terrible excuses, but because he looked much distracted by something else. Vera raised an eyebrow as she felt herself being drawn in by his deep blue gaze.

"Cas?" Vera called out to him, but she must of imagined herself saying it because his expression didn't change. A alien feeling flared in her chest, which she knew straight away wasn't Azrael. Tension in her hand made her realize that he had tightened her grip.

Vera wasn't particularly religious, even though the very evidence of God was sitting right in front of her, but she could of sworn on anything that his face was leaning towards her. And she was leaning in too.

"Here's your bill, ma'am."

Vera threw herself back against her seat as if she was on a slingshot and coughed awkwardly.

"Oh, really? Thanks!" She stuttered quickly, her voice comically high, and she could hear her partner doing the same. The young brunette waitress looked at them with a quizzical look and the pair of them knew from her knowing smirk that she could tell she had just interrupted something. The hunter fumbled with the receipt and even worse with the money as she placed it on the table.

"We should be off. We've got one more night on that motel room so we best make the most of it." She said, trying her best to resume her usual voice. After the words came out of her mouth, she realized that maybe it could have been read in a different context. But luckily for her, Cas just nodded quickly himself, and they made there way back to car without any other word.

Vera was barely in the car before she immediately turned on the radio. She didn't want any awkward conversations or dodgy slide-glances. It seemed to work for the first part of the journey, and she had zoned out as she often did when she drove, but it took her a full minute to realize that the radio had been turned off. Vera turned to Cas who was looking straight at her.

_Oh no, please no. No 'what are we' or 'do you think this is going anywhere' talks, God please. _

"Do you have any family, Vera?" He asked gently.

Vera could barely hide her sigh of relief.

"Family? Well yes, I wasn't created." She joked. "They're alive and living down Arizona. What brings this up?"

"Realizing that there's not a lot I know about you." A small pause. "Not any children or husbands?"

_And there it was._

"Husbands?" Vera laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. "Do I look like a housewife to you?" Her outrageous laughs calmed down to a chuckle. "No... never really had the time. As for children? I'm not really the motherly type."

"I think you'd make a great mother." Cas said.

"Haha, yeah. Well, I don't think anyone knows until they try it. It's a hunters life for me, I'm afraid." She glanced at her friend who was staring out of the window thoughtfully. "How about you? I'm mean, you're human now, you could start one if you wanted."

"I've got a lot to do right now. I don't think I could sit back comfortably knowing my brothers and sisters are killing each other on the streets."

"Fair enough, but didn't Sam and Dean say they were taking care of that? I wouldn't worry. They've stopped one apocalypse, this won't be any different." Cas still looked distressed at the topic. "And if not," He looked towards her. "Then I'll give it a shot myself. Even if it means hauling all of your graceful asses up there myself."

The angel smiled at her, but his eyes twinkled with something else. Vera didn't want to contemplate what it was.

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ So yeah. Finally. My apologies to those that had to re-read the story to understand what the fuck was going on again, but NaNoWriMo took it out of me. What was meant to be a one week break turned into a month-long thing. But I'm back and focused! Thanks again for the support.


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